


flower languages

by bruixa



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Magic, Getting Together, M/M, Slow Burn, florist tsukishima, witch kageyama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-19
Updated: 2016-11-16
Packaged: 2018-05-21 14:36:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6055203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bruixa/pseuds/bruixa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tsukishima wants to run his flower shop in peace, but finds himself growing more involved with an incredibly annoying and magical customer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

If there was a way to describe how well Tsukishima handled mornings, it would probably be the current scene. It was around 6:30 a.m. and Tsukishima was leaning against the kitchen table, practically trying to melt into it while he waited for enough coffee to be brewed. 

“Good morning Kei,” he lifted his head at the voice, finding his mother joining him in the kitchen. She smiled brightly at him before turning away to focus her attention on rummaging through the cupboards, and he briefly wondered how they could be related. His mother was probably the textbook definition of a morning person while it took him about three hours after waking up to just be a functional person. 

“I hope you don’t wear that face around customers,” his mother said when she came back to the table, carrying two cups of coffee, coils of steam rising up from them. Tsukishima finally lifted himself all the way from the table top and reached out to grab the cup his mother had placed in front of him. 

“I don’t,” He lied before taking a sip, grimacing at the bitter taste. He couldn’t help that he had an affinity for sweet things, even when it came to coffee, though it earned him being teased by Akiteru for ‘using more cream than coffee’. Despite the flavor, he still drank it while his mother’s chattered to his side and he sat silently sulking over the bitterness of his drink.

“I should get going,” Tsukishima said after the last sip, getting up to put the cup in his sink. His mother trailed behind him, pestering him over various things such as breakfast or how the weather was going to be. He brushed her off, assuring her that he was an adult and he could handle himself just fine. 

“Oh, and Kei, one more thing,” she added as he was pulling on his coat, “Don’t forget to smile for the customers!” Her index fingers were pointing at her own face, where she was wearing a large grin. Tsukishima rolled his eyes, knowing she didn’t actually expect him to smile for whoever came into his work. After another series of goodbyes, he finally went out the front door.

Tsukishima recoiled as he was greeted by the chill morning air, huffing in slight annoyance and tugging his coat tighter around himself before carrying on down the street. One of the few things he could appreciate about his morning routine was the short walk it was from his house to the shop he worked at. The path he took was fairly secluded, which he liked, preferring to not having to deal with any talkative neighbors this early in the morning (or at all).

Tsukishima’s work was located on a street where several small stores were nestled up against each other. One of the first stores he passed by on the street was the bookstore that was run by Yamaguchi and his family. It was unsurprising to find that Yamaguchi was already there, going in and out of the store as he readied it for the day.

“Morning Tsukki,” greeted Yamaguchi when he saw the other. Tsukishima only offered a nod in response as he passed, not bothering to stop and talk to the other. Yamaguchi was unbothered by his lack of response, already well accustomed to how Tsukishima is in the mornings. He went back to what he was doing before, which was carrying several boxes into the store. Tsukishima assumed that they were probably new book orders, which meant Yamaguchi would be by later for him to ‘test’ them. Though, his opinions didn’t really matter when it came to selling the books, since it was really just an excuse for Yamaguchi to spend their lunch breaks together. 

Tsukishima dug into his pocket as he came upon his work, pulling out the key for the door. After fumbling with the lock for a moment, he pushed the shop door open, welcoming the warmer air that was inside. A small bell rung above his head as he walked through, carefully navigating himself in the low amount of light that came through the windows before he reached the back of the shop and flipped on a switch. He bent over to reach under the counter and pulled out his apron, quickly putting it on. Once he had smoothed out the front, he turned to face the array of colors that came from the numerous plants that filled the shop.,

Tsukishima Kei didn’t look like he would be someone who would have even a sliver of passion for flowers, let alone to be someone who would work as a florist at his family’s shop. Of course, becoming a florist hadn’t been his original plans, but he didn’t hate it. The shop he worked in now was a comfortable and familiar place, it originally being run by his mother. As a child, if Tsukishima was not with Yamaguchi, he was helping around the shop while his mother and older brother worked. Now that Akiteru had moved and their mother was getting older, Tsukishima handled the shop mostly by himself.

Despite the disinterested expression he wore all the time, Tsukishima could actually enjoy his work. If someone watched carefully when he tended to the flowers, they could see the small, relaxed smile he wore sometimes. For a real surprise, someone could ask him the symbolism of flowers and watch him pull out meaning after meaning. Tsukishima would never admit it, but his favorite thing was to be asked to create a bouquet for the excuse to use his knowledge of the flower language. He liked knowing the occasion and combining flowers that not only looked nice put together, but also had complimentary meanings

His mother and brother often praised him for having a green thumb and they were often impressed with his ability care for even the most troublesome of plants. That of course, didn’t stop them for scolding him about the two things he was horrible with.

The first one was mornings.

The second one was customers.

The first customers Tsukishima got for the day came by about an hour after the shop had been opened. He had slowly been slipping into a daydream, not registering the two coming until the door swung open and yelling broke through the quiet air. Tsukishima nearly jumped out of his seat at the sudden noise, irritation spiking as he saw the two. 

They were fighting one another to squeeze through the door first, shoving one another against the frame while they shouted at each other. Eventually the smaller of the two pushed through, tumbling ungracefully to the floor. He didn’t need long to recover, however, quickly jumping off the ground and pumping his fists in to the air.

“I won!” The shorty announced, beaming with pride. 

“I still have a win over you,” The other countered as he entered shop, earning an indignant huff from his friend. Tsukishima frowned, sensing something odd about the two. They were annoying, but there was something else he just couldn’t describe. It was as if they had brought a strange, buzzing energy into the shop with them.

Though bothered by the sensation, Tsukishima opted to ignore it, focusing back on the bothersome pair. He resisted the urge to groan when he saw that they were _still_ fighting with one another. If this was what his first customers were going to be like, it was going to be a very long day.

The shorty broke away from the argument, examining the shop they had raced into with sudden interest. His face fell and he turned his head back to glare angrily.

“I thought we were going to do something fun! Not buy your stupid flowers,” he said, neither of them noticing the unimpressed look Tsukishima gave him.

“You didn’t have to come, dumbass!” The other snapped back, digging in his bag to pull out a large book. The covers were plain and had no markings, and the book itself didn’t look too old. Tsukishima wondered if it was a sketchbook, dismayed at the thought of the two staying longer than need be to work on an art piece. It was a relief to see the book actually had text printed across the pages when it was opened. 

Unfortunately, the book they had brought with them didn’t help the duo leave the shop any sooner. Instead, Tsukishima was still left with them nearly 15 minutes later. They were at least quieter now, focusing on examining each plant in the store. A couple times the shorty would gawk loudly, trying to call his friend over to look at whatever plant caught his attention. That usually earned him an angry response and was told to be quiet.

The taller one, if not bothered by his shorter companion, muttered quietly as he read the text in his book. He examined the plants more carefully than his friend, looking as if he was trying to solve a complex problem. He seemed to grow more annoyed as he passed from plant to plant.

“Why do you need flowers anyway,” The shorty asked as he came up behind him, “Can’t you just cast magic with words and junk?”

“It’s not for casting, idiot,” The taller said, lifting his face from the book to glare, “It’s for brewing.”

“Oh! What do you make when you brew?” 

“Potions of course,”

“So what kind of potions are you making? Is it a love potion? That’s distasteful Kageyama!” the shorty said, giving a disapproving shake of his head, “Just because your face is scary doesn’t mean you should resort to forcing someone to love you.”

“Shut up, Hinata!” the other said, reeling around, “That’s not what I’m making, now butt out.”

Even if he found the two annoying, Tsukishima couldn’t help the pique in interest as he overheard the exchange. He knew that people who can use magic existed, they just weren’t that common. He had never figured that a witch could be someone who was a rowdy idiot and filled the room he was in with an odd energy, however. To say the least, his first encounter with a witch was pretty disappointing. Not like he had high hopes in the first place, though.

The two somehow had gotten into another argument, much to Tsukishima’s irritation. The taller one, Kageyama, shoved his friend away, and though he seemed to have expected that kind of reaction, still couldn’t catch himself before he was fell into the counter. It caused the whole thing to shake and several plants to wobble precariously, but luckily none fell over. Hinata recovered quickly and the two were immediately bickering with each other. 

Tsukishima cleared his throat loudly, drawing their attention, and it seemed the two realized he was there for the first time. It was a small warning that the both of them seemed to understand, and they quickly turned away from one another. Kageyama went back to scrutinizing his book and the plants, the frustrated look he had from before returning immediately. Hinata, now aware of the third party, gave up on entertaining himself with flowers and approached the counter.

“So you’re a florist, right?” he asked, leaning himself against the counter, a look of genuine curiosity on his face that Tsukishima returned with a scowl.

Obviously,”

“Why did you become one?” Hinata continued, unbothered by the other’s response “I mean, why didn’t you choose something like sports? You got the height! You don’t seem like you’re having a good time. You should find a place you like.”

“I don’t have to answer such invasive questions from an annoying shrimp like yourself,” Tsukishima stated, causing Hinata to give out an angry squawk. He turned away, and Tsuksihima was pleased to find that he wasn’t going to be bothered anymore. It only lasted for a moment, however, as Hinata was quickly distracted by some flowers he had ended up facing.

“So what’s that?” he asked, pointing at the flowers as he turned back to Tsukishima. 

“Those are peonies,” Tsukishima answered, more so out of reflex than wanting to entertain the other’s curiosity “They’re a popular flower for weddings.”

“Oh! So are there more over here?” Hinata said, racing over to a pot of flowers that was several feet away “Why would you keep them apart?”

“Those are garden roses.”

“Aren’t all roses garden roses? Wait can these not be put into a bouquet?” Hinata paused to think for a moment before frowning, “That seems like a waste. Are there special bouquet roses? Can roses just be for special occasions? Are there date only roses, or maybe there’s ‘sorry I hit your car’ roses!” Tsukishima took a deep breath through his nose, trying to keep himself calm as he was quickly fed up with Hinata’s numerous questions.

“This is a flower shop, not botany class,” Tsukishima said, glaring down at the other and causing Hinata to shrink away from him “If you want to learn about a plant, look it up online after you’ve bought it and left my store.”

Hinata finally takes the hint and leaves Tsukishima be, walking back over to where Kageyama was, who seems busy inspecting some of the cacti the shop offers. It was also impressive to see the amount of effort the witch was putting into analyzing the plants, and how easily frustrated he was too. Tsukishima was sure that he might actually pass out from the strain he seemed under when looking around the shop.

After another five minutes had passed, Hinata had slipped back into boredom, groaning and complaining to the other.

“We’re going to be here forever at this rate,” he said, “Can’t you let me help you? You’re too much of an idiot to do this on your own.”

“You’re a bigger idiot than me, dumbass! You wouldn’t know what to look for,’” Kageyama shot back, glaring and pulling his book closer to him when Hinata tried to look at the page he was on.

“That’s kind of hard to believe,” Tsukishima piped up, drawing attention from the two of them, “Considering you’ve been here for nearly fourty minutes struggling with that book of yours. It’s kind of sad, really.” Kageyama seemed to tense up, embarrassment and anger crossing his face. To his side, Hinata let out a sound of shock, even if he had already been the subject of Tsukishima’s remarks. They recovered after a moment and a small flash of realization crossed Hinata’s face. He reached up to pull Kageyama down by his collar, which the other protested loudly to, and leaned in with a hand cupped to his mouth.

“You know, that guy is really rude and all, but he does work here. Maybe you should ask him for help?” Hinata whispered, which was pretty pointless since Tsukishima could hear it clearly across the store. Kageyama looked towards Tsukishima, his face immediately scrunching up with displeasure at the thought.

“No,”

“Yes!”

“ _No_. I can do it on my own,” 

“No you can’t!” Hinata said, not trying to be quiet anymore, “Now you’re going to ask for help so we can finally leave this store.” With that, he went behind Kageyama and shoved him towards the counter. Though the other seemed upset by this, there was also a sense of resignation as he looked towards the floor and slowly walked up to the counter.

“Can you help me?” Kageyama asked once he was there, mumbling his request as he was having trouble swallowing his own pride. Tsukishima shrugged his shoulders in response.

“Of course I can help you, but do I _want_ to? Not really,” Tsukishima knew better than to try and rile up a customer up like this, but for some reason he couldn’t hold himself back with this one. Especially when the other’s scowl deepened and his face flushed anger, causing a satisfied smirk to pull at Tsukishima’s lips. 

“Isn’t it your job to help me?”

“Kind of,”

“ _Kind of?_ ” Kageyama echoed, irritation growing on his face.

“I also tend to the pants, clean the shop, do inventory, count the till, and open and close the shop at their set times, along with helping customers from time to time. So my job is _kind of_ helping customers,”

“God, whatever,” Kageyama snapped, smacking the open book down onto the counter and pointing to the drawing on the page, “Just tell me what flower that is so I can get the hell out of this store.”

Tsukishima decided to let up, dragging the book towards him and flipping it around so he could examine it better. A large portion of the page was dedicated to a detailed drawing of a flower, one that was easily recognizable to him. However, his attention was focused on the text printed on the page. It was written in strange glyphs, which he assumed was the language used for magic. There was no way he could comprehend the confusing mess of words, but of course he had never been taught magic. This did bring another thought into his mind, however.

“Is the name not written there,” Tsukishima asked after examining page, indicating to a spot where the text was larger than the rest and bolded. Kageyama seemed to grow uneasy as Tsukishima pointed out the fact.

“Yeah…It’s just that…it’s-“

“It’s because he can’t read it,” Hinata interjected, causing the other harshly grab him by his hair. 

“You are a witch, right?” Tsukishima asked once they had calmed down.

“Yes,” Kageyama replied, eyes narrowing as he already disliking where Tsukishima was heading.

“Is it true then that witches are taught how to read magic since they are young?”

“….Yes,” Kageyama said again, though with more hesitation.

“Then tell me something,” Tsukishima said, leaning over the counter, getting uncomfortably close to the other “Why is it that you’re so simple minded that you can’t even read a language you’ve been taught since you were young.” 

Kageyama snapped in the moment, his hands slamming down against the counter as he glared darkly at Tsukishima. In turn, Tsukishima had the gall to give him an infuriating smile. To the side, Hinata watched the them, both shock and fear on his face as he expected things to become physical.

Tsukishima knew that maybe he should have held back a little with what he had said, and maybe should worry too about the witch actually hitting him, but he couldn’t help but feel entertained and excited. Whatever the strange energy Kageyama had brought with him into the store seemed to rise with his emotions, turning from some low buzz to an electric current that was focused on Tsukishima, leaving him exhilarated and eager to antagonize the other more. 

After a tense moment, Kageyama sucked in a deep breath, held it, and slowly let it out. The energy that filled the air dipped down back into a low buzz as Kageyama breathed out and regained himself. He was still mad, that was obvious, but he didn’t seem as close to lashing out as he was seconds before. 

“Can you _please_ just tell what flower this is so I can go,” He asked slowly, hands now resting on the counter as he tried to appear as calm as possible. Tsukishima relented, unsure how to react to Kageyama’s change in behavior, and turned his attention back upon the book that still laid between them. 

“It’s a Japanese camellia,” he said, “It’s the bright pink flowers over there. It’s kind of pathetic you couldn’t recognize them.” To his surprise, Kageyama didn’t response to his taunt, though Tsukishima could tell it had bothered him by how he clenched his jaw. Instead, the witch gave a small nod before stuffing his book back into his bag and walking over to the flowers Tsukishima had pointed out. He scooped up the pot without examining the flowers or the price, though it probably didn’t matter to him at this point that the flowers were on a sapling that he was going to have to carry around. Not much else was said between them as Kageyama paid for his plant, only Hinata’s loud sigh breaking their silence as Tsukishima handed over the receipt.

“Uhg, finally! You took _forever_ ,” he said, bouncing back from the counter and eager to head to the door. Kageyama shot him a glare as he picked up his plant and made his way towards the door.

”Don’t come next time if you can’t handle it,” Kageyama said, matching Hinata in his loud volume and breaking out of his subdued state. Tsukishima frowned, disliking the notion of a ‘next time’, and hoped that he meant a different store. He figured this wasn’t an experience worth repeating.

Once the two were out of the store, the energy Kageyama had brought with him dissipated. Tsukishima suddenly felt drained, resting against the counter as both mental and physical exhaustion took him. He groaned at his bad luck, wishing he could just close up shop now and go home.

Unfortunately for him, he still had an entire day to work through. 

After the two had left, Tsukishima’s day carried on as it would normally would. Several customers came by, most of them being regulars who didn’t need much assistance when finding what they wanted. One did need a bouquet to be made, explain that it was for an injured co-worker. . (They had apparently taken a nasty spill down the stairs, though Tsukishima wasn’t sure why he was being told this minor detail and why he was being expected to care.)

He sighed in relief when he was finally able to flip the sign on the door to say “closed”, laying himself against the counter and eager to spend his lunch break in peace. It was only a short moment though before the bell rung out as the door was opened again. He didn’t bother lifting his head, already knowing who it was. There was the sound of footsteps approaching the counter and a bag being laid to the space next to his head.

“Hi Tsukki,” Yamaguchi said, his voice growing muffled as he went to the back room to find an extra chair. Tsukishima raised his head as Yamaguchi came back out and set himself up on the other side counter. 

“I assumed you didn’t bring any food today, and I didn’t make anything, so I went to that convenience store that just opened up,” Yamaguchi explained, pulling out their food from the plastic bag. He paused as he looked at Tsukishima, frowning with concern.

“Are you okay? You don’t look that good,” he said. Tsukishima gave him a nod, trying to thwart off any concern. 

“I’m fine, today’s just too long,” he said as he grabbed his meal, examining it through the plastic cap to see how edible it actually was.

“It’s only 12:30,” Yamaguchi said with slight amusement.

“Your point?” Tsukishima asked, “I was tired by eight but I still have the rest of my shift.”

“You know you can always ask your mom to sub in for you,” 

“Oh God no, I’ll take exhaustion over her thinking I’m sick and fussing over me,”

Yamaguchi laughed lightly at that and the two lapsed into their usual conversations as they ate their food. Yamaguchi did most of the talking, telling Tsukishima about the most recent books that had come in. Apparently it was mostly a mix of fantasy and mystery novels and that Tsukishima should come by after work to help decide what book they should start with. 

When Yamaguchi began talking about some teens that had come into the book store, Tsukishima was reminded of his encounter earlier that day.

“Do witches come into your store often?” he asked, interrupting Yamaguchi’s story. He seemed a little surprise by the sudden interjection but he recovered quickly.

“Yeah, though it’s not something you can really tell. I only really know for sure if they say something,” Yamaguchi said.

“What are they like?” Tsukishima asked. Yamaguchi frowned in slight confusion, but he answered anyway.

“They’re okay, I guess. They’re just like all the other customers. Some of them are regulars, actually. There’s this one who always buys sci-fi books, which seems kind of funny for someone who uses magic,”

“Yamaguchi, did I ask about what books they like?”

“Sorry Tsukki,” Yamaguchi said, “But why do you want to know about witches anyway?”

“I had one come in today,” Tsukishima said, trying to appear more interested in his food than talking about the costumers he’s had to deal with.

“Oh, is that what’s bothering you?” Yamaguchi asked, causing Tsukishima to pause and scowl. Though, it was more because he was angry at himself for being so obviously bothered by the witch than the actual question itself. 

“Yes,” Tsukishima admitted after a moment, “But only because he was so _irritating_. He had this oppressive air about him, and not to mention the annoying friend he brought with him.”

“You would think that someone who uses magic would be calm and intellectual,” he continued after a quick pause,” but he was just a hot-headed idiot,”

“I didn’t know you cared so much about how witches should be like,” Yamaguchi said. 

“I _don’t_ ,” Tsukishima said, “There was just something so… aggravating about him.” He sighed in frustration, now glaring down at his food as recalled in the experience. Yamaguchi seemed amused by this, and almost had a knowing look on his face.

“You know, maybe you can try talking to him more next time. You can’t tell everything about someone from one meeting,”

“I hope there isn’t a next time,” Tsukishima said before making a topic change, no longer wanting to think about the witch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow i cant believe im writing a big fic in this year of our lord 2k16.  
> -anyways first of all thank you to nels for being so sweet and letting me gush about this. Also for getting my ass in gear and getting me to write this bc tbh without out them i would have never touched this. Also for being a beta i love nels so much??  
> -thank you roki for editing this what a sweet heart???  
> -also this chapter wasnt very much but later on these boys will be gay and there will be magical shenanigans  
> there isnt much besides that, feel free to point any flaws/mischaracterization and also hmu @nissam.tumblr.com if u want to talk about kagetsuki BC TBH  
> hoped yall liked this tho


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aah i just want to say the all the feedback has been so nice!! it's honestly overwhelming and rlly motivating. anyways, sorry this chapter took so long ;o; i hope yall like it.

For several weeks, Tsukishima spent his time as he normally would. No unusual customers came in, no strange occurrences, it was as average as things got. The only thing that he could even consider exciting during this time was that his mother made one of his favorite dishes for dinner, but that wasn’t anything special. 

It was midday when Tsukishima felt the light tingling of electricity across his skin and a slight restlessness take him. Though not as intense as before, Tsukishima immediately recalled his previous experience, snapping his head to look towards the large windows in the front. He narrowed his eyes when he recognized Kageyama passing by them and approaching the shop door. 

To Tsukishima’s surprise, he did enter the shop in a relatively calm manner, more focused on the quiet conversation he was having with his companion. It wasn’t the same one as before, this one having silver colored hair, and also didn’t seem nearly as rowdy as Hinata. It seemed his calm behavior was attributing to keeping Kageyama at ease, the witch wearing a relaxed and attentive expression while the other spoke. 

The man broke away from their conversation to look around, taking in the shop they had entered. He nodded his head as he did a full circle, giving the shop a look of approval once he had finished his inspection. He turned back to Kageyama and beamed at him. 

“This is a really nice shop,” he commented to the other, “It seems like it can be a place that could be useful to us. Good job on finding it,” Kageyama seemed to swell with a small amount of pride at the man’s praise, even if it was just about finding a store. The man noticed this and he gave a small, yet mischievous smile. 

“You didn’t have to use some kind of spell to find this place, did you?” he teased, poking at Kageyama’s side. The other swatted him away, looking slightly embarrassed. 

“No,” he huffed, glancing to the side to avoid looking at the man, “I looked it up online.” 

The other let out a light laugh at the response, reaching up to ruffle the other’s hair. Kageyama shook his head and moved away from the other. Despite looking slightly annoyed by the action, he still appeared relatively calm. After fixing his hair, Kageyama turned from the other and noticed Tsukishima standing behind the counter, his expression immediately souring. 

“Oh, you’re still here,” he said. Before Tsukishima could come up with a response, Kageyama’s companion made a noise of disapproval. 

“Kageyama,” was all he said, but with the scolding tone, swatting at Kageyama’s arm in an act of discipline. 

“Sorry Suga-san,” Kageyama said, rubbing his arm, but still kept his foul expression. 

“It’s not me you should be apologizing to,” Suga said, staring expectantly at the other. Kageyama pursed his lips and looked away, refusing to look back at either of them. Suga continued to stare at him for a moment before letting out a sigh. 

“I’m sorry about him,” he said, giving a small bow of his head to Tsukishima, who gave a shrug of his shoulders. 

“It doesn’t matter much to be, he’s the one who has to pay me in the end,” Tsukishima stated flatly. Suga let out another laugh, though it felt more awkward than the last one. 

“I suppose that is true,” he said, rubbing the back of his head slightly. He looked between the two before letting out a small sigh. 

“Well then!” Suga said suddenly, clapping his hands together, “How about we find what we came for?” He turned to Kageyama, who seemed much more keen on responding. Kageyama looked back at him and gave an eager nod. 

“We had a request made from someone looking for help with memory issues,” Suga explained, reaching out of his pocket to pull out a small paper note. He passed it to Kageyama, who took it and squinted at the small letters scribbled across it. 

“Okay?” 

“It means we’re going to have to make a type of memory potion,” Suga continued, “It’ll be a recalling kind. Do you remember what goes into those?” 

Kageyama’s brow furrowed in thought, staring at the floor as he cupped his chin. He took a couple of seconds before sighing in frustration, looking shamefully back at Suga. Suga understood his response without him needing to speak it, reaching up to give him and encouraging pat on the shoulder. 

“That’s alright, you usually aren’t tasked with those so I’m not surprised you didn’t remember the ingredients,” he said, offering a kind and understanding smile at the younger. He walked away and paused in front of some smaller, purple flowers. He motioned at Kageyama to join him. 

“Moonwort is a good flower to use,” Suga said once Kageyama had come over to him, gesturing to the plant before them, “It’s not a coincidence that it means memory, along with it being the more common type of flower to be used in flower potions.” 

“Moonwort doesn’t mean memory,” Tsukishima stated, immediately regretting saying anything as the two turned to him. 

“Oh?” Suga said, smiling and attentive now. Tsukishima shifted uncomfortably under their expectant gazes, crossing his fingers together behind the counter. 

“Moonwort means forgetfulness,” he said, “Which I’m assuming you don’t want in whatever you’re making.” 

“Could you perhaps show us what flowers do mean memory then?” Suga asked of him, ignoring Kageyama’s quiet _”But he won’t help you”_. Tsukishima made a disgruntled face, but he came out from behind the counter anyway, walking up to the two, and confusing Kageyama in the process. 

“We have mock orange over here,” Tsukishima said and guided them to a spot where a pot was, multiple small, white flowers growing out of it. “They’re not even that much alike, how could you mix those up?” Though Kageyama readied himself to defend the older one, Suga stopped him, seeming completely unfazed by Tsukishima’s comments.

“You are the expert on flowers here, it only makes sense you have an easier time than I would remembering them,” he said. Tsukishima looked surprised by the comment, then turned his head away as if he was made uncomfortable by it. He gestured to some scarlet lychnis, though he was sure the pair didn’t need any of that.

“Is there any other flowers you would recommend?” Suga asked, drawing Tsukishima’s attention again. He narrowed his eyes, scowling at the question asked of him.

“Aren’t you supposed to be the _‘expert_

’ on potions here?” he countered. Suga simply smiled and shrugged in response.

“A second opinion never hurts,” Tsukishima didn’t seem pleased with response, but gave in, knowing he couldn’t opt out in this situation.

“You mentioned recalling earlier, right?” Tsukishima asked of Suga, who nodded in return, “Over here is silver-leafed geranium. It’s usually used in gardening as bedding.” He continued, guiding the pair over to the plant he was speaking of. It didn’t go unnoticed by him that Kageyama seemed to lose interest of the discussion at hand, turning to move away. Almost on instinct, Suga reached out and caught him by the sleeve, pulling him back over. Kageyama made a sound of protest but kept his spot by Suga, though looking a little more upset.

“It’s safe to use in a medical sense,” Tsukishima drawled, watching as Suga stretched out his hand to touch the silky leaves of the geranium., “though I guess you’re looking for the fact that it means ‘recall’.”

Suga looks rather pleased as he looked at the flowers, even getting Kageyama to come examine them, though he doesn’t seem as excited. He turned to Tsukishima again.

“They’re in a very good state!”

“There’s no reason they shouldn’t be,” Tsukishima said, refusing to accept Suga’s comments again. Suga made an expression that was lost to Tsukishima, and before he could think much about it, Suga had wiped it away. He instead turned back to Kageyama, going off into how the quality of a plant can affect the outcome of a potion.

Tsukishima watched the pair, Kageyama attentive as Suga gave his explanations, but it was easy to tell Kageyama was not the best of students, and was already getting lost in Suga’s miniature lesson.

“So, you’re a witch?” Tsukishima finally asked, curiosity getting the better of him. Suga paused his rambling, turning back to Tsukishima.

“What gave it away?” he asked, giving a teasing smile, “Was it my _charm_?” Tsukishima scowled with slight disgust at the poor pun, while behind Suga Kageyama scoffed, causing Suga to laugh at the both of them.

“I’m assuming the obvious potion talk is what gave it away,” Suga said once he had calmed down.

“Mostly,” Tsukishima replied, “though whatever energy you guys keep bringing with you is an indicator as well.”

“Energy, huh,” Suga said, turning his head slightly to look at Kageyama, who seemed more preoccupied at staring at some zinnia the shop had. Suga pursed his lips together, looking slightly troubled, but put in an apologetic smile when he looked back at Tsukishima. 

“I’m sorry if that’s ever caused any problems,” Suga said. 

“It’s just as annoying as dealing with regular customers,” Tsukishima said, giving a wave of dismissal. He turned away from the pair, deciding to make his rounds checking on the plants since he was out from behind the counter anyway. 

It was easy for Tsukishima to slip into auto-pilot, doing this since he was a child. He didn’t even register his own relaxation as he examined leaves and flowers, even able to block out the two in his store. His own moment of serenity didn’t last long, however, feeling the uncomfortable sensation across his neck and back as he sensed he was being stared at.

When he turned, he saw Kageyama standing only a few feet away, watching him with a blank expression. Tsukishima glared at him, immediately becoming defensive.

“ _What,_ ” Tsukishima he said, causing Kageyama to snap out of his thoughts. He flushed, embarrassed for being caught staring. 

“Nothing,” Kageyama bit out before turning away. There was a pause between them, and Kageyama turned his head back. He stared down Tsukishima before dropping his gaze, his voice growing more soft as he continued.

“It was just weird to see you not looking angry,”

“Wow, It’s like I’m a human. With emotions.” Tsukishima stated in a flat tone, adding onto Kageyama’s anger and embarrassment.

“Shut up,” Kageyama said, wheeling away from Tsukishima. He feigned interest in the plants on the counter, though Tsukishima was sure he had no care about them.

“What about this one,” Kageyama said, hoping to pacify the situation and move on from his own blunders. 

“You should maybe look it up online,” Tsukishima said, being as hard as ever to work with.

“Is this another case where you’re ‘busy’ with some other duty?” Kageyama said, glaring at him from the side of his eye.

“No, I just don’t help simpletons who waste time and rough house in my store,”

“Is something the matter?” Tsukishima watched Kageyama go rigid as Suga joined up behind them. Tsukishima flashed a smile at the younger witch, making sure to use this against him.

“Oh, did he not tell you?” Tsukishima said, “Him and his friend came in here and knocked each other around while shouting at the top of their lungs.” though Tsukishima wasn’t one to share stories with a stranger, he did enjoy the way Kageyama flushed with shame, shrinking under the disapproving gaze of the other.

“Kageyama, you know how to behave better than that,”

“But Hinata w-“

“You’re an adult, for Pete’s sake.,” Suga said, cutting him off. Kageyama seemed ready to defend himself before deflating, head dropping as he muttered a soft _“I know”_. Tsukishima watched the duo, comparing it to the likes of a parent scolding their disobedient child.

Suga shook his head and moved away to look over some other flowers, mentioning how it’s not bad to check for options for future potions. Kageyama was glaring down at the counter, still embarrassed from his small scolding. Tsukishima smirked and walked up to him, causing Kageyama to turn his glare onto him.

“Speaking of the shorty, did your friend finally wise up and leave you?” Tsukishima said. Kageyama scowled changed into a look of confusion, cocking his head to one side as he processed Tsukishima’s question. He turned around and stared at Suga for a moment before turning back, looking even more confused.

“Suga-san is still here though?” he said. Behind him, Suga let out an offended gasp and a sharp _“I’m not even that much shorter than you!”_. Tsukishima let out a short spout of laughter, completely caught off guard by Kageyama’s response and the sincerity of it. 

Kageyama was staring at him again, looking as if he had just heard what laughter was for the first time. Whatever humor Tsukishima felt immediately left when he saw the other staring again, returning his blank face to stare back at Kageyama. 

Kageyama turned his gaze away, looking as if he was contemplating something. His brow was furrowed with the thought, eyes narrowed as he glanced at Tsukishima. After a moment, he seemed to realize something, face relaxing.

“Since I made you laugh, does that mean you’ll help me?” he asked once he had reached his own conclusion, causing Tsukishima to sneer.

“That’s not how things work,” Tsukishima said. Kageyama ignored him, or at least didn’t take Tsukishima’s answer as a full out _“no”_ , and turned to point at the plant he had asked about earlier.

“Will you now tell me what this this?”

He was pointing at one of the species of orchids the shop had, one with a pouch hanging from it and outstretched petals. Tsukishima wrinkled his nose as he turned his gaze from the other, but relented on telling him what it was.

“Those are lady slipper’s,” he said. Kageyama scowled, instantly growing angrier at the response.

”Do you think I’m stupid? I can tell those are flowers,” he said. Tsukishima stared back at Kageyama for a moment, an impassive look on his face. He waited for Kageyama to realize his own mistake, but the other only began to grow uncomfortable and more irritated on Tsuksihima’s gaze. 

“And this is why I said I wasn’t going to help you,” Tsukishima said finally before turning away, realizing that the witch wasn’t going to get it, “You’re too much of an idiot.”

“I think it’s about time we get going, right?” Suga said, appearing beside Kageyama and cutting off whatever response he had. The older witch looked exasperated, completely fed up with the two’s constant bickering. Kageyama’s attention was pulled away from Tsukishima, anger dissipating as he eagerly agreed with Suga.

Suga turned and led Kageyama back to the plants they had looked at earlier, picking up the geranium and passing it into Kageyama’s arm. He also had the younger pick up the mock orange while he brought other plants to him. He quickly explained that the extra flowers were for specification after Kageyama gave him a befuddled look. As the two got ready to leave, Tsukishima placed himself back behind the counter. 

“We run a potion shop called the Crow’s Cauldron,” Suga said when they came up to the counter to pay, carefully taking the flowers from Kageyama’s arms and placing them in front of Tsukishima. The other cocked and eyebrow, not sure what Suga was expecting by telling him this.

“Perhaps you should come by sometime,” he continued, “Maybe you’ll find something to help you.”

“I think I’ll pass,” Tsukishima said dryly, “I don’t really want to get poisoned.” Kageyama puffed up, anger flashing across his features, but Suga gripped his shoulder, the calm smile unwavering.

“I can see where you’re getting the misunderstanding, but all of our potions have a spell casted over them to take away any harmful effects,” Suga said, “And if that doesn’t work, well, each batch is tested by us before it’s sold.”

“Believe it or not, that won’t change the fact that I don’t have the highest opinion of what your potions will be like,” Tsukishima said, “Especially considering what your _coworkers_ are like,”

“Well, I hope you give us the chance to prove you wrong,” Suga said, bowing slightly before gathering up their things again, having Kageyama take most of it. As they made their way out of the door, Suga paused for a moment, turning back to Tsukishima.

“Oh, and I think you should be more respectful to your customers, just for future reference,” Suga said, flashing him a sharp smile before leaving the shop. Tsukishima sighed in irritation, feeling bothered and slightly embarrassed for being called out for his own immature behavior. 

When he came home later that evening, his mother kept asking if something was wrong, noticing his mood was fouler than usual. He shrugged her off each time, assuring her he was fine. Though she looked displeased by his response, she gave up, knowing he wasn’t likely going to answer any other way.

While lying in his bed, Tsukishima let his curiosity get to him. He reached out and grabbed his phone, searching up the shop Suga had named before leaving. He found that it wasn’t that far from his own shop, though it was a good walk between the two. 

He decided to not let the fact of the potion shop being so near, or to say, the chance of running into Kageyama and other witches being higher than he thought, bother him. Instead, he clicked on the store’s site. He didn’t see anything about the witches (not that he was looking), but was greeted by a list of potions being sold. Tsukishima noticed one of the first products to pop up was that of a recalling potion, one to be used for memory use, along with it being said that it had been made today. He also didn’t skip over the small disclaimer, which read:

***This potion is not specified, and the desired memory may not be recalled.**

He rolled his eyes, though he didn’t find the fact that the potions being sold didn’t have a chance of working to be an unsurprising fact, considering how witches were turning out to be. He gave up on looking more into the shop, instead placing his phone on the bed stand and rolling over to sleep. He had work to go to in the morning, of course.


	3. Chapter 3

Tsukishima stifled a yawn as he made his way out his room, his face showing both his drowsiness and irritation to being up. He halted his footsteps, face scrunching up as he heard movement coming from within the kitchen and was met with the scent of food being cooked. He slowly made his way out of the hallway, eyes narrowing when he spotted his mother already up and at the stove.

“Good morning!” She said, turning once she had heard him step into the kitchen. She smiled at him, being as bright as ever. “I already ate the one I made for myself, but here’s yours.” She picked the pan from the stove and tipped it over, an egg sliding from it and onto a plate that had been by her side, joining the other food there. She set the pan back down and picked the plate from the counter before holding it out to Tsukishima. He eyed her as he reached out and took the plate, looking displeased despite the meal she had made him.

It was bothering him that she was already dressed for the day, clothes fit for working on and her hair pulled back so it would be out of her face. Though his mother was an early riser, she would stay in the clothes she had slept in for several hours, not needing to since she was staying at the house. She did go out and shop from time to time, but she still did that later in the day, more in the afternoon than nearly seven in the morning.

“Are you going somewhere?” he asked instead of leaving the kitchen, setting his food back on the counter next to him. He stared down at her, but his mother was unfazed by his foul attitude, keeping her smile as she gave a small nod of her head.

“I’m going to work the shop today,” she said, raising a hand and pointing her finger into his chest “and _you_ get the day off!” She announced it to him as if he had won some sort of prize. Tsukishima narrowed his eyes and turned his head slightly to the side, unable to hide his displeasure at her words.

“I don’t need the day off,” he stated, his face scowling a bit.

“Of course you don’t,” she agreed with him, though Tsukishima knew that she believed otherwise, “But a day off never hurt anybody.”

“No it doesn’t,” Tsukishima said in a flat tone, “But I don’t need you subbing in for me.” 

“I know you don’t _need_ me to, but I _want_ to,” she said. He knew that wasn’t the truth. His mother was easy for him to read, and he knew when she was worried about him. 

“Well, I don’t want you to either,” he said, as his mother turned from him, trailing behind her as she walked towards the front door. 

“I’ve never seen you so motivated to go to work, Kei,” she said in a teasing tone, “Sorry to step on that. Maybe you can save if for tomorrow, okay?” She reached out to grab her jacket, which was hanging on a hook near the door. Her hand was stopped as Tsukishima laid his hand on her outstretched her arm. 

“Mom-“

“Kei please,” she said, her tone growing more serious. She turned to face him, giving him an understanding look. “I know you mean well, but you don’t have to worry so much. I’ll be fine. _You’ll_ be fine.” 

Tsukishima fell silent, staring at her for a long moment before letting out a long, drawn out sigh. He let his hand fall to his side, his mother relaxing as he calmed down a little. 

“Okay,” he said, shrugging his arms in slight admittance of defeat. She gave him a look of appreciation, knowing just how much this bothered him, but trusting this would be good for him. 

“Thank you, Kei,” she said, her tone and expression full of warmth for him. 

“Besides, I don’t need to be cooped up here every day,” she said, placing back in her more cheerful tone, “I’ll probably start losing my head!” 

“I think you’ve already done that,” Tsukishima said, causing his mother to let out a bright bit of laughter. Despite himself, Tsukishima felt his lips tug upwards a little, the sound both comfortingly familiar and infectious. 

“I’ll be back later tonight then,” she said, turning away to put on her jacket. 

“What am I supposed till then?” he asked. His mother paused as she opened the door, raising her head to look back at him. 

“Whatever you do for fun, go out with some friends, sleep all day, whatever!” she said, reaching up to give him a pat on the cheek, “Just enjoy some time to yourself.” With that she was out the door, leaving Tsukishima alone in their house. 

It didn’t take long for Tsukishima to grow uncomfortable, a small knot of anxiety forming in the pit of his stomach minutes after his mother left. He tried distracting himself with the television, but found nothing that could keep his interest. Despite how he is in the mornings, once Tsukishima is up, he’s up for the whole day, much to his own annoyance when he wakes early. This, of course, left him without the option of sleeping. 

He picked up the book that Yamaguchi had lent him, but he had already finished the book. Yamaguchi himself was at work, which didn’t really give Tsukishima many options on who he can hang out with. He found himself pacing around the house, unsure what to do and growing more unsettled. He decided that even if it was by himself, going out for a bit would be better than staying at the house all day. 

So Tsukishima, being a reclusive adult with only one friend who was currently working, did the best thing he could. 

He went grocery shopping. 

By the time Tsukishima left the house, the cool air of the morning had dissipated under the rising sun, leaving the temperature warm and fairly pleasant. He paused by the door, soaking in the nice weather for a sort moment. He was drawn from his serene state when his neighbor greeted him, which he awkwardly returned. 

After that, he made his way from the house as quickly as he could without running and drawing the attention of others. 

He took a longer route than what he would usually would, mainly to avoid his mother spotting him on his way to the store and begin her questioning. He was sure she had already worried herself to death this morning, and him going to the store despite the house nearly everything being stocked up would only bother her more. He’d much rather avoid that and enjoy a peaceful evening without her fretting more. 

By the time Tsukishima had reached the store, his nervous edge had worn off; the pleasant weather and walk having had brought him back into a calmer state of mind. Despite that, Tsukishima took his time while in the store, lingering and looking at items he wasn’t really planning on buying. Though he could handle wasting a bit of time, he was not one to waste money. 

Tsukishima felt a shiver pass through him as passed by the spice section, causing him to halt his steps before turning back. He paused as he looked down the aisle, finding Kageyama there, a small shopping basket on the floor as a bottle of some spice was held close to his face. His lips were pursed together; unknowingly puffing out his cheeks a little as he examined the bottle. His concentrated look almost seemed angry, and in odd way, cute. Of course, Tsukishima would rather die than acknowledge that thought. 

“Please tell me you at least know what oregano is,” he said as he took several steps towards the witch. 

Kageyama started, the spice falling out of his hand and clattering to the floor. He spun quickly, seeing Tsukishima standing behind him, the other wearing a smirk for having scared him. Kageyama wiped the surprise from his face, putting back in his ever present scowl. He huffed and reached down to pick the bottle up from the floor. 

“What do you want, Tsukishima?” 

Tsukishima was taken aback. He wasn’t expecting _that_. He wasn’t quite sure how Kageyama could possibly _know his name_. They had never had any sort of formal introductions, leaving Tsukishima floundering for a reason on how the witch knew his name. Was it possible that witches also had mind-reading abilities? That was an unsettling thought. 

“And how exactly do you know my name?” Tsukishima finally opted to ask, keeping his voice even as he did so. Though, he did eye the other with a wary look. Kageyama looked confused, as if he wasn’t sure why Tsukishima was so upset. 

“You wear a name tag,” Kageyama stated. Tsukishima felt himself flush with slight embarrassment. _Of course_ , the name tag on the apron. Tsukishima wanted to smack his own forehead for skipping over that little detail, but obviously didn’t with the witch watching him. 

“Well, Kageyama, you’re more observant than I would have thought,” Tsukishima smiled, able to regain some dignity as Kageyama looked at him with shock. The other reached up to grab at his shirt, at the spot where a name tag would be. Tsukishima rolled his eyes as Kageyama stumbled out his own questions on how the other knew his name. 

“Considering how many times it’s been yelled in my shop, it would take an idiot to not realize that was your name,” Tsukishima said, tilting his head to the side and smiling, “So color me impressed that you actually knew your own.” Kageyama scowled at the other, already recognizing the cycle they were falling into. He stooped down again to drop the spice he had picked into the small basket on the floor. 

“Don’t you have a shop to run?” he asked once he had risen up again. 

“Am I not allowed to exist outside my job?” Tsukishima countered with, causing Kageyama to huff with annoyance. 

“Unless you want to get fired,” he pointed out, cause Tsukishima to give him another roll of his eyes. 

“I’ll have you know that I was given the day _off_ ,” he said, “Not all of us are half-witted hookies.” 

“I don’t have to work either!” Kageyama snapped. 

“I can’t imagine who would have the unfortunate luck having to hire _you_ ,” Tsukishima said. He raised a hand to his hip and cocked his head to the side, flashing an irritating smile to the other. It really was too enjoyable and easy to rile up Kageyama. 

“Well I feel sorry for whoever has to work with _you_ ,” 

“I’ll have you know my mother thinks I’m a delight to work with,” Tsukishima said, and immediately cringed internally. He wasn’t sure why he thought bringing his mother up was a good response, and now looking at it, it seemed kind of pathetic that it was only his mother that found him enjoyable. 

“Wait, your mom actually likes you?” Kageyama asked, putting a convincing amount of shock into his voice. Tsukishima felt a spike of irritation at the other’s response, the faked shock rubbing him the wrong way. He straightened himself, putting more emphasis on their height difference as he stared down at the witch with a hard expression. 

“Of course she does,” he stated to Kageyama, “Unlike you, my mother likes to be around me.” 

If Tsukishima took a second to think, he would probably realize the entire situation was ridiculous. The whole thing was honestly more akin to some grade schoolers fighting with one another on a playground than that of two men in their twenties having a small spat in a grocery store. 

Tsukishima, however, didn’t bother to think about that. 

Kageyama seemed to visibly recoil at Tsukishima’s remark, as if he had been struck by the other. He turned his head to the side, biting down on his lip while balling his hands into fist. Tsukishima was caught off guard by the reaction, expecting something that would be more of an aggressive response. He felt an odd twist in his gut, something almost akin to guilt, and wasn’t able to understand it. Before he could process any of this, the moment passed and Kageyama recovered himself. 

“W-well whatever!” He stumbled out, turning back to look at Tsukishima and putting on an angrier expression, “I don’t have to stick around and listen to your bullshit anyway.” 

With that, Kageyama turned to grab his basket and storm away, leaving Tsukishima with the spices and feeling a mixture of emotions that he wasn’t sure about. He sighed in his frustration, shaking off whatever feelings that were in him and decided to focus back on shopping, now eager to leave the store as soon as possible. 

He was relieved to be able to leave the store without any other incident, walking through the doors with a single bag clutched in his hand and then turning to make his way down the street he had come from. He internally relaxed, content with going home on his own without anyone else bugging him for the day. 

“Hey, wait!” Of course, how could he think he could actually go home peacefully. 

Tsukishima heard the voice, but he opts to ignore it. When he hears another shout, he quickens his pace, knowing that Kageyama was trailing not far behind him and would rather avoid another conversation with the witch. 

As Tsukishima tried to put distance between him and the other, felt a tug on the back his shirt, pulling him back a step and almost causing him to trip over his own feet. The skin beneath the spot was alive with the tingling sensation, seeping out across his back and down his spine. He was unable to suppress the strange shiver that rode up his back. 

He heard the sound of fast paced steps close up behind him, pausing once they were only a short distance away. Tsukishima felt himself scowl and let out an irritated sigh. He turned around, glaring down at Kageyama as he caught his breath. Though he was sure the witch was the reason for the strange pull on his shirt, he felt too unnerved and bothered to bring it up. 

Tsukishima at least had to give the other credit, seeing that Kageyama seemed relatively calm now even after getting so upset earlier. It appears that simple-minded people get over things rather quickly. 

“I thought of something,” Kageyama said once he caught his breath, rising up to stand taller “It was after we talked, so I followed you.” 

“I know you were following, dumbass,” Tsukishima said in a flat tone. 

“Then why didn’t you stop?” Kageyama said, his face pinching up in agitation at the other’s reply. 

“Because obviously I don’t want to talk to you,” Tsukishime replied easily. Kageyama grew angrier at that, but then caught himself, screwing his eyes shut to focus for a moment before visibly relaxing. 

“Anyways, you know flowers,” Kageyama said dumbly, swinging the bag he held to his side back and forth a little as he fumbled with his words, “And I don’t. So, you could help, right? Like teach me. That’s my idea.” 

“You can’t possibly be serious,” Tsukishima said. 

“Of course I am! Why wouldn’t I be?” 

“I think it’s pretty clear through our few encounters that we shouldn’t share prolonged period of times together.” Kageyama narrowed his eyes at him, looking as if he was trying to understand what the other had said. 

“You can be an asshole,” he said slowly, looking at Tsukishima as if seeking reassurance that he had comprehended the other correctly, “But I need to understand flowers, and you seem like the best option.” 

“Have you ever heard of something called the Internet? It’s a lot better source than some twenty year old in a flower shop,” Tsukishima said, turning his nose up in slight disgust at the thought of the two of them working together in his shop. 

“I can’t learn from there, too much reading,” Kageyama said, “It would be a lot easier for you to help me.” 

“Well, I am absolutely not going to help you,” Tsukishima said back. 

“I’ll just wait in your store until you do,” the other pressed, refusing to accept Tsukishima’s no’s. 

“I’ll make you leave,” 

“You can’t do that” 

“I can kick whoever I want out of my store,” 

“What if I don’t leave?” Kageyama said, raising his arms to cross them across his chest despite his own bag of groceries. 

“Then I’ll call the police,” Tsukishima said. 

“I don’t think you would want to make the effort to deal with police,” Kageyama deadpanned. 

Tsukishima worked his mouth for a moment, unable to response because, well, he wasn’t _wrong_. In fact, he was kind of mad because it was very much true. Like hell he would ever actually just call up the police because someone was loitering around, considering all the drama and annoyance that would come with that. 

Instead of giving the other a proper response, Tsukishima let out an angry puff of air and turned his head to the side, glaring holes into the buildings he faced. Kageyama stared at him, uncomprehending Tsukishima’s body language. 

“So then you’ll help me?” he asked after a moment of silence had passed between them. 

“Huh?” Tsukishima said, whipping his head back around to look at Kageyama, narrowing his eyes at him. 

“Then I’ll see you sometime later this week!” Kageyama announced loudly, taking Tsukishima’s lack of an answer as a yes. He bowed deeply to the other before turning and walking away, ignoring Tsukishima’s angry shouts about how he will not assist him in learning about _flowers_ , of all things. 

Tsukishima groaned, bring his free hand to rub it against his face. He thought of the week set up before him, dreading the days to come and when Kageyama was to come and visit. After reveling in his own self-pity, Tsukishima turned on his heel and headed back home. 

During dinner that night, his mother kept giving him a distress look, much to his own irritation. Obviously, she was disappointed that a day off didn’t seem to improve Tsukishima’s mood at all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey!! i hope yall enjoyed this chapter! finally these dumb nerds are gonna start hanging out and getting closer.   
> anyways, as always, feel free to point any flaws! and comments are always appreciated, all the feed back ive had is so nice and motivating <3  
> hmu @ nissam.tumblr.com if you want to talk


	4. Chapter 4

Tsukishima felt an uncomfortable prick form in the back of his neck as he was keenly aware that he was being stared it. Despite coming over to eat lunch together, Yamaguchi hadn’t said much, and had instead been looking at Tsukishima with a thoughtful expression, as if he was contemplating something.

Though he doesn’t mind the quiet, it did bother Tsukishima that he couldn’t guess what his friend was thinking so much about. He looked up from the food sat before him to stare back evenly at the other.

“Yamaguchi,” he said, drawing the attention of the other, “you’ve just been staring at me the whole time. It’s getting creepy.”

“Sorry Tsukki,” Yamaguchi replied, offering an apologetic smile. His face fell back into the look he had been wearing before, however, unable to help himself as he pondered over his friend. Tsukishima could tell from his face as well that Yamaguchi was dying to question him about something. He let out a drawn out sigh, breaking through the other’s thoughts again.

“If there’s something you want to know, ask.” Tsukishima said, leaning against his hand to stare with a disinterested face, though it was very much the opposite feeling when trying to figure out what Yamaguchi was thinking.

“Did something happen?” Yamaguchi finally decided upon, causing Tsukishima to quirk an eyebrow at the question.

“Why are you asking that?” He gave Yamaguchi a puzzled look.

“It’s like you’ve been acting a little different lately,” Yamaguchi said easily.

Tsukishima turned his face upward and wrinkled his nose, appearing displeased with the other’s observation. His mother had said the same thing to him nearly a week ago, noting that he seemed a bit different. Though he had been off put by it, he was able to brush it off with ease. The next day, an old regular by the name of Ukai had told him that he liked his attitude better and that Tsukishima should keep it up.

He didn’t really care about pleasing old men, but both his mother and Yamaguchi noting a change in him did bother him.

“Is that a bad thing?” Tsukishima asked slowly, eyeing the other as he gauged how Yamaguchi would respond. A moment of silence passed between them as Yamaguchi worked on deciding what words fit.

“You just seem…. happier,” he said finally, looking pleased with his choice of words.

Tsukishima visibly recoiled, surprise passing over his features as he stared back at the other. _Happier?_ he thought, unable to comprehend the notion. He hadn’t noticed his behavior changing and was pretty mortified that several others had before he did himself.

“So…?” Yamaguchi pressed after receiving no answer, “Did something happen?”

Had something happened?

The only thing his mind could go to was that for the past several weeks, Kageyama had been coming to the shop more frequently for “lessons”. He would come at least three times a week, his book in hand and a million questions ready to drive Tsukishima up the wall.

Well, it wasn’t exactly like that anymore.

The first time the witch had come, it was an utter disaster. He lingered in the store for nearly two hours before Tsukishima gave in, glaring daggers into the other as he helped Kageyama with what he wanted. It had also ended with Kageyama angrily yelling at him and storming out of the shop, claiming that he was never going to come back.

Except he _did._

The next day, to be exact, Kageyama came into the shop and placed himself in a corner when he saw Tsukishima helping another customer. Tsukishima’s skin crawled as he felt the witch stare him down, fighting the urge to turn and stare back. The woman he was making a bouquet for had let out a small laugh when she noticed the awkward tension between the two. Once she had left them, Tsukishima had threatened to wring the other’s neck if he stared him down like that again. Kageyama simply glared back and said it wasn’t his fault that Tsukishima was always so uncomfortable. 

“Not always,” he had retaliated with, glaring down at the other. 

“You have to be because you’re always mad!” Kageyama had said back and Tsukishima opted to not give a reply to that. 

He had expected these little meetings with Kageyama to be constantly terrible, but he was slowly discovering that wasn’t as true as he first thought. 

There was moments were Tsukishima could find himself relaxing in the other’s presence, scribbling notes in the book Kageyama had brought as he explained the meaning of the flower on the page. He didn’t really notice when their conversations became a little more peaceful, even if they could rile each other still. Kageyama would talk about potion making and Tsukishima would offer his two cents, causing the other to scramble his hands over the counter to grab the pen they were working with and make a quick note in his book. 

It would seem that with each passing week, his relationship with Kageyama was gradually improving. Tsukishima was unsure how to feel about that, but it would be a lie to say he didn’t enjoy having the witch around to excuse himself from work and talk about something he could be passionate about. Sometimes even, Tsukishima would talk about plants that had nothing to do with what potion Kageyama had come for, the witch leaning against his hand as he listened to the other speak with wide eyes. 

There might be a chance that Tsukishima was beginning to enjoy these little meetings with the witch, but that obviously doesn’t mean that Kageyama could be the reason why he was _happier_ , right? 

Ah. 

Speak of the devil. 

Before Tsukishima could form a proper response to Yamaguchi’s question, the bell jingled, announcing Kageyama’s entrance into the store. 

Tsukishima could sense Yamaguchi watching him as he tensed up, mentally cursing the witch’s timing. Without realizing what he was doing, Tsukishima shot up, stretching out a hand and pointing at the front door. 

“Out,” he said, causing Kageyama to halt in his steps, brows furrowing as he grew defensive, not knowing what could be the matter this time. Tsukishima decided to continue the stare down the other instead of casting a glance of Yamaguchi to see his reaction to all of this. 

“Why?” Kageyama said, gripping at the strap of his bag in a way to defend himself and cocking his head to the side. 

“Because it’s my lunch break,” Tsukishima said, coming out from behind the counter to shoo Kageyama away and back out the door. Kageyama pushed him away a little, looking frustrated and confused at the whole ordeal. 

“But I’ve come during this time before and you’ve helped me,” Kageyama pointed out as he struggled against the florist. Tsukishima paused and felt himself flush a little, unsure why he was embarrassed by this information being let out. He still refused to meet Yamaguchi’s gaze, who was quietly watching the two with curiosity as the whole exchange went down. 

“Well this time you _can’t_ , so go,” Tsukishima said, trying to back Kageyama up again. The other held his ground, glaring right back at Tsukishima. 

“No,” he said, his tone hard. Tsukishima paused for a moment, putting on a bored expression as he stared down at the other. 

“Fine, be that way,” Tsukishima said, giving a shrug of his shoulders and turning away. Kageyama stared in confusion as he watched Tsukishima walk into the back room, daring a glance at Yamaguchi to try to understand what was happening, but got no help. 

When Tsukishima returned, in his hand was the broom he used to sweep the floors. Without saying a word, Tsukishima began swinging the broom against Kageyama, the witch crying out in surprise. Even Yamaguchi was caught off guard, not expecting such a thing from Tsukishima. 

Kageyama raised his hands to protect himself (though Tsukishima was only sweeping at his legs) as he backed closer to the door, soon pressed against it and shouting at Tsukishima to stop. 

“I really need to get some lavender though!” Kageyama cried, helpless against Tsukishima and his broom. 

“You came in here _knowing_ what you’re going to get?” Tsukishima asked, pausing to stare dumbfounded at the other. Every time the witch had entered the store, it had taken an agonizingly long amount of time for him to figure out what he wanted, and even after that, he pressed Tsukishima for more meanings behind the plant he wanted. 

Kageyama’s face gained a bit of hopefulness, maybe expecting for this to work for him and Tsukishima to allow him in the shop. Tsukishima, naturally, didn’t do this. He began sweeping at the witch again with more intensity than before. 

“Well that’s too bad, you’re still not allowed in here,” he said. Eventually Kageyama pulled the door and fled, an angry flush on his cheeks as he admitted defeat. He turned on his heel to glare back at Tsukishima, his scowl deep with irritation. 

“Please come again during business hours,” Tsukishima said, lips turning up into the fake smile he saved for customers, knowingly that it only irritated Kageyama more. After that, Tsukishima closed the door and locked it, thoroughly keeping the witch from entering again.

When he turned, he saw Yamaguchi giving him a teasing smile. 

“Who was that?” he asked, keeping the face as Tsukishima slowly made his way back to his seat behind the counter, letting the broom rest beside him. 

“Not a friend, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Tsukishima said, wearing his usual disinterested as he spoke of the witch. 

“Well he’s certainly _someone_ ,” Yamaguchi said. He leaned forward and turned his head to the side, raising an eyebrow and pressing Tsukishima for a better response. After a moment, Tsukishima let out a long sigh. 

“I teach him about flowers, okay?” is what he said, but Yamaguchi didn’t seem satisfied with just that. 

“Is he a biology student?” Yamaguchi asked, leaning back into his chair, “Does he want to become a botanist?” Tsukishima glared at the questions, feeling slightly upset at the mention of the two things, but decided to ignore the feelings in the end. 

“Neither,” he said before his voice grew a bit quieter, “He’s a witch.” 

Yamaguchi made an impressed noise. He didn’t say anything else for a few moments, more intent on studying Tsukishima. Despite explaining all that Yamaguchi wanted, Tsukishima was still being stared at. 

“I think it’s kind of cool that you made friends with a witch,” he said finally as he got up from his seat, making his way towards the door. 

“We are _not_ friends,” Tsukishima said as he followed him. 

“Sure,” Yamaguchi said in an unconvinced tone. He stepped to the side and let Tsukishima unlock the door, pulling it open and letting Yamaguchi step outside. 

When both were out to say their goodbyes, they found Kageyama, still by the shop. He was sat between the flowers Tsukishima had placed out by the front, spending the whole time sulking as Tsukishima and Yamaguchi finished their lunch. 

His head was turned up now, staring up at the two with wide eyes. He made a hopeful glance at Tsukishima. Almost on instinct, Tsukishima returned his gaze with a scowl. 

“Bye Yamaguchi,” he said quickly, “We’ll talk later.” With that, he made is way into the store as Kageyama got off the ground. Though the witch opened his mouth to speak, he didn’t get any words out as Tsukishima closed the door behind him and locked it. He gave a smug smile to the other before walking away from the glass door and windows. 

“Asshole,” Kageyama muttered under his breath, completely oblivious to Yamaguchi’s ongoing presence beside him in front of the store. He jumped a little when the other cleared his throat, turning in surprise to find the other there. 

“Yamaguchi Tadashi,” he said as he introduced himself, holding out a hand, “I run the book store just down the street from him.” Kageyama eyed him for a moment before slowly taking his hand. 

“Kageyama Tobio,” he said, giving a firm shake. His face pinched up, as if he was unsure what to say next. Yamaguchi gave him a polite smile, patient enough to let the witch figure out how he would continue his introduction. 

“I, uh, get lessons from Tsukishima,” he said finally. 

“So I’ve heard,” Yamaguchi said, looking pleased with the fact. Kageyama frowned, unsure why anybody would be happy that he would have to work with Tsukishima. 

“I’m glad that Tsukki is making more friends finally,” Yamaguchi let it slip out, turning back to gaze through the door and windows. Kageyama let out a loud snort, causing Yamaguchi to give him a frown. 

“We are _not_ friends,” Kageyama said, unknowingly echoing the same words Yamaguchi had heard a few minutes earlier, “Actually, I’m pretty sure he hates me.” 

Kageyama stated it casually, no hurt expression across his features made the observation. He shifted stance slightly, stuffing his hands into his hands into his pockets as he turned his head away. Yamaguchi’s frown deepened at the claim. 

“Listen, as his best friend, I can say this with certainty,” he said, drawing back the witch’s attention. “He likes you in some way. You probably get along better than you realize.” 

Kageyama gawked at the other, working his mouth but unable to form a reply. It seemed incomprehensible that Tsukishima could genuinely like him. Yet at the same time, Kageyama wasn’t completely oblivious. He had noticed the shift in how they interacted, even catching the bits of enjoyment he felt when around the other. 

Not understanding anything, Kageyama felt himself flush and grow defensive. He went to rebut Yamaguchi’s claim, but before he could get out any words, the door was unlocked and Tsukishima swung it open. He gave a pointed stare at Yamaguchi, who grinned back at him with a laugh, before muttering and grabbing Kageyama by his shirt. Though surprised, the witch let himself be lead inside, leaving Yamaguchi by himself outside. 

“Jeez,” he sighed, shaking his head at the two before turning on his heel and heading back to the bookstore. 

Inside, Kageyama watched him leave before switching his gaze to Tsukishima. It was odd; though he knew there was some truth to Yamaguchi’s words, he was unsure what that could all mean. Did that make Tsukishima his friend? It wasn’t a terrible thought, but he had no way of telling how Tsukishima felt towards that. 

Tsukishima scowled, as he knew he was being stared at again, but this time the gaze was more intense and scrutinizing. 

“Do you need to make an appointment with an ophthalmologist? You seem to need to look so hard to understand what’s literally ten feet away,” Tsukishima said, casting a glare at the other. To his surprise Kageyama didn’t rise to the remark, his face only growing more strained and confused. 

_Everyone’s thinking too much today,_ Tsukishima thought. 

“So lavender,” he said loudly, “Is that all you came for? Because I would like to have this done with as soon as possible.” That seemed to draw Kageyama out of his thoughts, his face relaxing as they broke into the familiar topic. 

“I need more flowers than just lavender, dumbass,” Kageyama said, walking over to him and pulling out his book. He opened the cover, where inside there was a small paper note. He pulled it out and stuck out his hand for Tsukishima to take it. 

“I think you need more words than just dumbass,” Tsukishima said, but he took the note anyway. He made a displeased sound when he saw that there were about ten flowers listed on the note, all in just name without any descriptors. 

“I’m assuming you’re not here to just buy a bouquet are you?” Tsukishima asked. Kageyama rolled his eyes and walked away, placing his bag and book on the counter. 

“I think you need to get your head checked, you’re asking really dumb questions,” he said as he sat down in Yamaguchi’s vacant seat. Tsukishima gave a roll of his eyes but he joined the other at the counter, sitting down across from Kageyama. He reached out and grabbed the book, pulling it up and began flipping through the pages. Despite the irritation the other could bring on, it was easy for Tsukishima to fall into his business mode as he helped the other. 

“The first one is delphinium,” Tsukishima said, pausing as he came upon the right page, recognizing the flower through the detailed drawing. He held out his hand, which Kageyama placed a pencil into. He wrote the name on the top of the page, putting in a dash as well as the meaning. He turned the book over so the witch could look at it. 

“It means boldness,” he said as Kageyama squinted at his hand writing, Tsukishima purposefully making it smaller than necessary just to bother him. “I don’t think you’re lacking in that, in my opinion. You’re just brash at this point.” Kageyama looked up from the book and glowered at the other. 

“Do I constantly have to tell you that these _aren’t_ for me?” Kageyama said. 

“Of course not, my memory seems far better than yours anyway,” Tsukishima said, leaning back and flashing an irritating smile. Kageyama huffed loudly, trying his best to ignore the jabs and continue on with identifying the flowers and uses. 

That was how it often went, jabs here and there while they attempted to work together. As time passed, their defenses would begin to melt away, leaving a more comfortable atmosphere between them, making it easier to work as long as they want. 

Which actually isn’t that long, considering the both of them. 

Tsukishima could tell Kageyama was already growing tired and frustrated from the way his face was beginning to pinch up, causing his ever present scowl to deepen. He would look away during their discussions, looking for something more interesting to focus on. 

After failing to find some other stimulation, he lead out a loud groan and slouched over. 

“I need a break,” Kageyama exclaimed as he laid his head on the table. 

“We’ve been only at this for twenty minutes,” Tsukishima noted. 

“Twenty minutes of _pure hell_ ,” Kageyama said, turning his head so he was looking up at Tsukishima. Tsukishima found an all too familiar pout on the other’s face, Kageyama’s lips slightly pursed and cheeks puffed a bit as he stared up with frustration. 

Tsukishima tried to fight it, but he felt his lips tug upward into a small smile. If anyone else was there to witness it, they might have it noticed it contained a hint of fondness as Tsukishima looked back at Kageyama. 

It was short moment before Kageyama registered what Tsukishima was doing and shot his head up, eyes wide, as if he had never seen someone smile before. He openly gaped at the other, causing Tsukishima to become flushed and self-conscious. 

“What?” Tsukishima snapped at him. 

“You actually have a nice smile,” Kageyama stated. Tsukishima tensed up, jaw tightening as he stared back with surprise. The witch finally noticed what he said, though his own embarrassment was from Tsukishima’s reaction. 

“I mean, your smiles are usually mocking and they piss me off,” he tried to explain, “But that one was kind of nice.” Kageyama fell quiet and frowned due to himself, frustrated, as he was unable to word himself right. He shot up from his seat suddenly. 

“Whatever. It was stupid to say,” he said quickly, stuffing his things back into his bag, “I need to go anyway.” Although Tsukishima knew that probably wasn’t true, he didn’t try to stop the witch, still too confused and flustered to really care. Kageyama began to back away from the counter. 

“I. Um,” Kageyama worked his mouth, not sure what to say to smooth things over. He was still facing Tsukishima as he walked backwards, unaware of his surroundings. 

His back knocked into the blue pot of a growing dracaena that was set out on a table, tipping it over into the air. He twisted himself around, his eyes tracing the plant as it plummeted towards the ground. He shot out a single hand and Tsukishima felt the air crackle. 

_“Kraaza!”_ Kageyama cried out, the plant freezing in its fall. Tsukishima watched with fascination as Kageyama slowly reached out and carefully grabbed the pot, replacing it on the table. After assessing it and seeing it as stable, Kageyama let out a long breath and the air in the shop lost its intensity, fizzling back into stillness. 

“I’m sorry,” Kageyama said loudly, causing Tsukishima to start. He stared as Kageyama gave an awkwardly apologetic look before fleeing out of the shop. 

The bell rang as the door swung shut, and Tsukishima let out a small, wheezy breath. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i cant believe....there it is....the magic and feelings....we made it folks...  
> anyways, i hope yall enjoy this chapter! point out anything you feel is wrong/leave a comment :p  
> hmu @ nissam.tumblr.com


	5. Chapter 5

**Yamaguchi:**

**Do you have the day off?**

_Tsukishima:_

_Yes._

**Yamaguchi:**

**Great! I do too! You should come out with me and some friends of mine. :)**

Tsukishima felt his face fall into a scowl as he stared at his phone, rereading the last message and going over his options. His mother had once again decided that she was going to work the shop, already gone and leaving an uncomfortable Tsukishima at home to himself. Though he wouldn’t mind spending some time with his childhood friend, it was the prospect of others being there that had him wary to join.

Still, the slight shake to his hands was more concerning to Tsukishima than a few strangers.

_Tsukishima:_

_Fine._

He could sense the shock on Yamaguchi’s end when he received the other’s reply, telling him that he would be stopping by Tsukishima’s house soon before they both would make their way to the shopping district to meet Yamaguchi’s friends.

The florist let out a strained sigh before picking himself off the bed he was sitting on. He was already ready for the day; it was just a matter of waiting on Yamaguchi.

A thought passed through Tsukishima’s mind as he began to leave his room, pausing to lift up his phone again to send a message.

_Tsukishima:_

_I won’t be at the shop today. Don’t. Come. By. I don’t need you bothering my mom too._

It took only a few seconds before Tsukishima got a reply from the other.

**Idiot Witch:**

**I don’t have to listen to you. You’re just lucky I have other plans.**

Tsukishima smirked at his phone, amused by the expected lackluster of Kageyama’s response. About a week ago Tsukishima had exchanged numbers with the witch, claiming it was so Kageyama could warn him before ruining his day. Though Kageyama was unimpressed, he gave Tsukishima his number anyway, claiming this didn’t make them friends. Tsukishima agreed.

Reassured that his mother and the witch won’t cross paths, Tsukishima pocketed his phone and made his way into the living room, looking for something to distract himself until Yamaguchi came by.

Television seemed to be the best option, but it doesn’t ease him enough while waiting. Instead, he ended up picking at his nails until they bled while the T.V. droned on in the background.

He felt terribly relieved when he his phone buzzes, signaling Yamaguchi’s arrival.

Tsukishima quickly made his way to the door and opened it, revealing Yamaguchi to be standing right one the front step, the other giving him a friendly smile. Tsukishima only gave a small nod back as he stepped outside and locked his house.

“I’m honestly surprised you agreed to come,” Yamaguchi said as they began walking, his excitement leaking into his voice. 

“Don’t make me regret this before we get there,” Tsukishima said, his voice low. He wasn’t completely displeased to be coming, but it was very doubtful he could be eager as his childhood friend. Yamaguchi gave an apology, though Tsukishima could tell it wasn’t that honest of one from his smile.

The two walked in a pleasant silence, both content with just knowing the other was there as they took in scenery around them. Tsukishima noticed the sky was nearly clear today, only a few clouds lingering at the edges of the vast blue space, though those were nearly blocked out by the buildings surrounded them. He assumed it must because it had been warmer and dryer the past couple days.

“There they are,” Yamaguchi said, breaking the calm silence between them. Tsukishima turned his head, noticing three people standing.

Tsukishima halted as Yamaguchi called out to them, the trio turning to greet them. Tsukishima saw Kageyama’s eyes widened, matching the surprise that other felt. Beside Kageyama was Hinata, he stiffened as he realized the florist was joining them.

“You!?” Hinata screeched before either Kageyama or Tsukishima could say anything, but he captured the feeling between all of them pretty well.

“You two have met?” Yamaguchi asked with slight surprise, gesturing between Tsukishima and Hinata.

“He’s one of my annoying customers I’ve told you about,” Tsukishima said in a flat tone. Hinata gave an indignant huff, displeased with the turn of events. Kageyama at his side casted Tsukishima a glance before giving a slight nod to Yamaguchi.

“Hello,” he said, his voice quiet when compared to Hinata’s. Yamaguchi offered a pleasant smile in his direction.

“It’s nice to see you again,” Yamaguchi replied.

“You two have met too?” Hinata says, staring with slight disbelief. He looked like his entire life had been flipped upside down with all these sudden connections. Tsukishima rolled his eyes and began to walk passed them.

“It’s a small town, don’t act so shocked Shorty,” he said as he brushed past Hinata, who sent a glare in his direction.

“Um,” comes a small voice from Tsukishima’s side and he halts his steps, turning to find the fifth member of their party staring nervously at him. 

She was a smaller girl, obviously unnerved by the height Tsukishima had. Blonde hair fell in front of her face as she ducked her head slightly, trying to appear smaller.

“We haven’t met yet, I’m Yachi Hitoka,” she said.

“Tsukishima Kei,” Tsukishima said, sticking out his hand. Yachi straightened and seemed to relax, taking Tsukishima’s hand and giving it a small shake.

“Seems like you’re friends with the idiot duo, huh?” Tsukishima asked when he dropped his hand down.

“We’re still here you bastard!” Hinata said from behind, which Tsukishima ignores as he continues to stare blankly at Yachi. She glanced at Hinata and Kageyama and smiled.

“They’re not that bad once you get to know them,” she said. 

Tsukishima, though he disliked the notion, silently agreed with her.

They began walking again, Hinata and Kageyama racing ahead of them a couple feet while Tsukishima lagged behind, leaving Yachi and Yamaguchi in the middle. Hinata swirled around every so often to ask if they could check out a store, which Yamaguchi shook his head to.

“We’re eating first Hinata,”

“But can’t we just check out one store, please?” the shorter begged, causing Yachi to speak up.

“You don’t want to get stuck in the lunch rush do you Hinata?” she said to the other, “Then you’d be waiting for a long time and be super hungry.”

Like magic almost, Hinata dropped all questioning and accepted Yachi’s reasoning. Tsukishima’s respect for her was growing by the minute as she was able to keep Kageyama and Hinata calm (or as calm as they got).

Hinata and Kageyama were quick to find a table upon entering a restaurant. Once they had been sat down for several minutes, a waitress approached them and asked for the orders.

“Katsu curry,” Kageyama said, placing his order last out of all of them.

“Tonkatsu is better the original way!” Hinata claimed once the waitress had walked away.

“If you don’t have any taste it is,” Kageyama said, glaring at the shorter. Hinata gave a shocked gasp.

“You bastard, are you saying your taste is better than the rest of ours?”

“Yes,” the witch said blankly, and Tsukishima snorted. He didn’t even say it to be rude, he simply stated what he believed and Tsukishima couldn’t help but be humored by his honesty.

“You’re too forward Kageyama,” Hinata said, scolding the other, “It’s a nasty habit.”

“Shut up dumbass,” Kageyama said, growing embarrassed under his scrutiny, “Didn’t you have a boyfriend to go call or something?”

The shorter flushed up, standing up from his seat and stomping off, complaining about how nosey the witch could be. 

Kageyama upturned his face, side-eyeing Hinata as he stomped away, the other too busy digging in his pocket to notice the look the witch was giving him. Kageyama raised a hand and pointed at Hinata, an electrical spark passing through the air and causing the hair on Tsukishima to stand on end. 

Hinata’s foot was tugged by an invisible force, causing him to fall over and his phone sliding across the floor. Immediately he looked at Kageyama, who feigned innocence. They could hear Hinata’s grumbling as he picked himself up and grabbed his phone, walking off towards the bathroom to make a phone call. 

“Don’t do that,” Tsukishima said when Kageyama turned back, his face in a scowl as he could still sense the energy, making him uncomfortable. The witch raised an eyebrow, sincerely not understanding what Tsukishima was telling him.

“Don’t do what?”

“Magic,” Tsukishima, “It’s like getting shocked every time you do it,” he rubbed at his arms, trying to get rid of the goose bumps that had formed there.

The witch looked ready to defend himself, his face twisting with slight anger before something akin to shame takes place. He huffed loudly and turns his head to the side to glare at the floor. For a few moments, the four sit awkwardly in silence.

“You know,” Yachi piped up, glancing nervously at all of them before settling on Kageyama, “I’ve never really heard how magic works, do you think you could explain Kageyama-kun.”

Kageyama straighten himself up, turning his face to look at Yachi, his previous anger and shame gone as he stares at the blonde girl. He looked ready to go on about magic endlessly before he really thought about her question, his head dipping back down as he grips his chin.

“A, uh, well,” Kageyama’s face scrunched up as he brought up his head again, clearly looking for the right words, “Apparently magic is a lot more, um, emotional than what I thought it was.” He finally settled on, looking satisfied with that explanation. 

“How so?” Yachi leaned on the table, eyes wide with interest.

“It’s about how I feel and connections,” Kageyama said, though he looked unsure of himself, “Suga-san could explain this better, but I draw stability and energy from my bonds with others.”

Suddenly, Kageyama took on a more shy expression, clearing his throat loudly as he directed his attention towards Tsukishima.

“That’s why, um,” Kageyama continued, face tilted downward as he glanced at the other, “That’s why you may be sensitive to my magic.”

Tsukishima quirked an eyebrow at the other as he heard the words, a smirk crossing his features as he realized the implications of them. 

“Does that mean you feel strongly about me, Kageyama?” Tsukishima asked, resting his chin on his hand as he leaned closer to the other. He meant to have it be a light tease, but was caught off guard Kageyama’s reaction. The other spluttered before averting his gaze, a blush creeping along his features.

“Hate is a pretty strong emotion, right?” Kageyama finally got out.

Tsukishima frowned, unsure why he felt disappointed by Kageyama’s response.

“Food!” came Hinata’s loud sing-song voice as he bounced up to the table, breaking the odd moment between the two. Behind him was the waitress, her hand raised as she brought their meals towards them.

Anything involving the earlier conversation was dropped as the food was placed in front of the, mostly due to the utter _disgust_ that took over the table as Kageyama and Hinata practically inhaled the food given to them. Despite witnessing their friends’ eating habits several times, both Yachi’s and Yamaguchi’s faces twisted up, looking as if their appetite had left them.

“Jesus,” Tsukishima said, not bothering to hide the disgust in his voice, “Are you starving much?” The two looked up from their plates, cheeks slightly puffed up with the food forced into it.

“Magic uses a lot of energy,” Kageyama said in attempt to defend himself, sparing no time to chew properly and swallow, “It adds a strain to my body and makes me really hungry.”

“Right,” Tsukishima said. He wasn’t really convinced, considering that out of all the things he might have looked up about magic, needing to eat a lot had never come up. However, he wasn’t particularly interested in arguing with Kageyama about magic and its effects on the body. Instead, Tsukishima focused his attention on Hinata, who was inhaling as much as the taller boy beside him.

“So what’s your excuse then?” Tsukishima asked.

“High metabolism!” Hinata beamed before shoving a piece of meat into his mouth.

To his side, Yamaguchi gagged and looked away.

After a lunch that lasted _far_ too long, the group piled out of the restaurant, checking to make sure they hadn’t lost the wild duo they had brought with them.

“Where to now?” Hinata said, bouncing with excitement. Tsukishima stuffed his hands into his pockets, glaring at the sky as he ignored the conversation that followed, uncaring where they went. He was more concerned about how it was too hot for his liking.

Shouting broke out and Tsukishima focused back on the group, frowning as Hinata and Kageyama were shoving each other, arguing over where to go. Yamaguchi gave a tired sigh, rubbing his temples while Yachi had a look of embarrassment and concern as she watched them. She stood there for a moment before her gaze focused on a store down the street, sucking in an excited breath and walking up to the fighting pair.

“Kageyama-kun” Yachi said, tapping the witch’s shoulder lightly. Kageyama immediately broke his conversation with Hinata to give her his full attention, startling her due to how quickly he spun around. She smiled though, once she had recovered, pleased to see how attentive he was.

“There’s the store I was talking about,” she said, turning to gesture at the place she had spotted earlier, “Do you want to go in a look at some clothes?”

Kageyama gave her a nod of his head, an eager look across his features as he tilted his head back up. His eyes were wide with excitement, and there was an almost there smile at the prospect of shopping with Yachi.

Tsukishima felt his stomach curl at the sight, his breath almost getting stuck in his throat. He scowled to himself due to the reaction, unsure what it meant.

He ignored the feeling as they agreed to visit Yachi’s store first, trailing the small girl as they walked down the street. She held the door for all of them, each boy dipping their head as they passed by her, a pleased smile on her face.

“This is a cute place,” Yamaguchi noted to Yachi when they had all entered inside. Yachi smiled and agreed with him, informing him that’s why it’s one of her favorite places. She broke away from them and grabbed Kageyama by the hand.

“The clothes I was talking about are this way,” she said, pulling and the other allowed himself to be dragged away, leaving Hinata, Tsukishima, and Yamaguchi to their own devices.

The three wandered in the little bit of area the store had, finding most of the clothes to not be to their individual taste. Tsukishima then hovered near the front, tapping his foot as he watched his companions shift around the store. Soon, Yamaguchi and Hinata gave up and joined him, talking in hushed voices as to not disturb the clerk.

Though trying his best to seem disinterested, Tsukishima couldn’t help but feel his eyes be drawn to Yachi and Kageyama, unsure why his interest piqued as Kageyama disappeared into the dressing room. It’s not like he particularly cared for the witch’s style, considering it quite plain, but kept his eyes trained on the door for some reason.

After a moment, the door finally pushed outward, and Tsukishima’s eyes widened slightly as Kageyama stepped out from the dressing room, all his wondering thoughts blown away.

Kageyama stepped out easily, staring expectantly at Yachi as she inspected the outfit on him. The witch was trying on a plain black t-shirt, one that hung loosely off him and revealed parts of his collar bones. Tsukishima took in the sight before his eyes slid down, settling onto the floral skirt that hung just above Kageyama’s knees. Tsukishima felt an odd dryness in his throat as he took in the shape of Kageyama’s thighs beneath the skirt before continuing downwards, noticing the other had decided to leave his legs bare, revealing expanses of dark skin.

“Do you like what you see?” a voice said from his side, startling Tsukishima has he twirled around, seeing the teasing smile of Hinata.

“What?” Tsukishima heard himself say dumbly, his brain still trying to catch up. Hinata gaze was sharp, and Tsukishima felt like completely exposed to the other

.

“Just remember that’s my best friend you’re checking out!” Hinata said, poking Tsukishima in the chest and the taller finally caught up in what he was talking about.

“I wasn’t checking him out,” Tsukishima hissed, feeling his cheeks become warmer and know he was starting to look red. Hinata opened his mouth but was cut off by a snort, both looking at Yamaguchi who was covering his mouth.

“Sorry Tsukki,” he said when he moved his hand, “But that can’t be true, you were practically _drooling_ while staring at Kageyama.” He stuffed his hands into his pocket, leaning back and smiling happily, “It’s cute though that you like him.”

“I don’t like him,” Tsukishima said, his voice low and angry, face flushed with embarrassment, “I just think he looks hot.” Immediately he smacked a hand over his mouth, regret forming over his features as both Yamaguchi and Hinata busted into loud bouts of laughter. Tsukishima glared at them, his face as red as possible as he tried to hide it behind his hand.

“What are you guys laughing about?” came Kageyama’s voice, causing all three to stop and look at him, surprised to find him standing behind Tsukishima. Tsukishima casted a glance to the counter, where Yachi was standing, clothes across it as she waited to pay. 

“Letting poor Yachi pay for everything?” Tsukishima said, shaking his head in disapproval and tsking, hoping to distract the other from the previous conversation, “How cold of you, Kageyama.”

To his surprise, Kageyama didn’t get angry, instead shrugging and looking disinterested in Tsukishima’s comments.

“She offered,” he said simply and Tsukishima found himself at a loss. 

Yachi joined them shortly, holding up two bags and passing one to Kageyama. The group made their way around the small district, visiting several stores and passing time messing around. Tsukishima felt frustration bubble up in him as he kept himself constantly being drawn to Kageyama, often either staring at the other or standing beside him.

It was late afternoon before they decided to call it quits, Tsukishima trying not to sigh with relief, eager to head home and rest. They began to walk down the street, Tsukishima once again falling beside Kageyama. The witch didn’t say anything, and neither did Tsukishima. From the corner of his eye, he saw Yamaguchi jab Hinata in the side and nod to them. Hinata gave a nod in return.

“Yamaguchi,” he said far too loudly, causing Yamaguchi and the other three to look at him, “We forgot to buy the puzzle you wanted!”

Yamaguchi made a mock sound of shock at Hinata’s words and Tsukishima scowled at their poor acting, suspicious of what they were planning. 

“A puzzle?” Tsukishima nodded and Yamaguchi gave him an eager nod.

“Yeah! You know how I love puzzles,”

“I don’t, actually,” Tsukishima said dryly and Yamaguchi let out an awkward laugh, scratching the back of his head.

“A new passion, I guess,” he said, adding to Tsukishima’s displeasure. Seeing Tsukishima’s angry expression, Hinata gripped Yamaguchi and Yachi and tugged on them.

“Nevermind, let’s go before it’s get late!” he said, pulling them a step forward. Yachi looked surprised and slightly confused but allowed herself to be pulled along. Tsukishima rolled his eyes and waved them off, turning to walk away, _praying_ that Kageyama was going to follow them.

“I’ll come too,” he heard the other say and he feels a smirk tug at his lips, knowing that the trio’s plan to get them to walk home together would fall apart easily.

“Nonono!!” Hinata shouted, stopping the other. Kageyama looked slightly angry and confused, brow furrowing as he glared.

“Why not?”

“Because you have housework!” Hinata said and Kageyama cocked his head to the side, looking as if he was trying to recall if he really did need to clean his home. After a moment of thought he shrugged, turning back and following Tsukishima, who groaned internally.

Of course, he had forgotten that Kageyama was an idiot.

They at least didn’t talk much as they made their way down the street, Tsukishima wondering how soon Kageyama will turn off and head off his own way. He hoped it was soon, especially since it was becoming hard to not notice how close their hands were.

Unable to help himself, Tsukishima glanced over to the witch, sucking a breath in as he stared at the other. Kageyama looked at ease, a calm expression on his face as black hair fell across his face. Tsukishima recoiled as he caught himself staring, throwing his head back and groaning loudly. Kageyama started and turned to look at him.

“Are you okay?” Kageyama asked, sounding surprised as and Tsukishima felt himself flush. “I’m fine,” Tsukishima lied, “It’s just hot.” Kageyama quirked an eyebrow upward, as if he didn’t believe heat could affect Tsukishima. He looked up at the clear sky before back at Tsukishima.

“I guess it is kind of warm today.”

“Nice observation,” Tsukishima sneered, quickening his pace and planning to walk ahead of the other, pausing as he heard Kageyama call out to him.

“I can help you cool down, you know.” Kageyama said and Tsukishima turned and looked at him.

“How?” Tsukishima asked, though he already knew the answer

.

“With magic,” Kageyama stated simply, stepping closer. Tsukishima eyed him, feeling flustered and confused and not sure what to say. He sighed loudly before throwing his arms up.

“Sure,” Tsukishima said, “I don’t trust you, but why not?”

Kageyama frowned, looking ready to be angry before he shook off the words. Instead of a reply, he raised his free hand and pressed against Tsukishima’s chest, a focused expression coming across his features. Though uncomfortable of the contact, Tsukishima was more interested in seeing the witch’s casting than being upset over being touched.

 _“Rakuqa thra rath omd ravroca eth vethr eca,”_ Kageyama said quietly under his breath, sounding as if he was struggling with saying it all well enough.

At first, Tsukishima felt something akin to static electricity running across his chest and skin, causing him to seize up a little. After a short moment, he felt the effects of the spell.

A chill ran from the spot on his chest where Kageyama’s fingers rested up through his shoulders and neck and down his stomach, going all the way down to his toes. The shocked breath Tsukishima let out came out in a puff of misty air, as if he been standing outside during winter.

“Shit, I overdid it,” Kageyama said, retracting his hand as Tsukishima began to shiver. 

“Y-you thi-ink?” Tsukishima bit out while his teeth chattered, raising his arms to try rub some warmth back into himself.

They broke out into a small spat after that, Tsukishima pointing out Kageyama’s inabilities as a witch and Kageyama blaming Tsukishima for angering him so much. The witch practically stormed away when it came for them to go separate ways.

Tsukishima was still chilled when his mother came home that evening, nearly causing her to jump when touched him and noticed he was absolutely frozen. She nearly went into panic mode, frantic over her son but he tried to wave her worry off, which didn’t help much.

After dinner, Tsukishima was eager to rest, practically burying himself into his bed when his phone buzzed. He groaned but reached out a hand up and grabbed the device, holding it up to his face.

**Idiot Witch**

**So**

**I hit enter early**

**Sorry for freezing you.**

**Are you working tomorrow. Would it be okay for me to come by?**

Tsukishima stared at his phone for a moment before typing out a response.

_Tsukishima:_

_I’m surprised you would want to, I thought you hated me._

**Idiot Witch:**

**Oh.**

**I don’t actually hate you.**

Despite already knowing that, Tsukishima felt the grip on his phone tighten as he bit into his cheek. 

_Tsukishima:_

_How sentimental. I might cry._

**Idiot Witch:**

**Shut up.**

**So can I come by?**

**Or do you hate me now?**

_Tsukishima:_

_It pains me, but yes, you can come by_

There was a long pause and Tsukishima assumed that was the end of the conversation. He reached to put his phone away when it buzzed in his hand..

**Idiot Witch:**

**So, you actually hate me though?**

_Do I?_ Tsukishima thought. They had definitely grown closer from when they met, and obviously Tsukishima felt _something_ towards the other. He wasn’t sure what it was yet but it frustrated him. He hit the keys on his phone hard when he typed out his response.

_Tsukishima:_

_No, dumbass._

Tsukishima pressed his phone against his face and screwed his eyes shut, unsure what to make of the feelings he was beginning to feel towards the other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ejsus christ i finally finished this this was grueling to do im sorry it took so long  
> anyways welcome to chapter five heres my kageyama hcs  
> feel free as always to point out any flaws/mischaracterization  
> hmu @ nissam.tumblr.com


	6. Chapter 6

Tsukishima jumped as his phone vibrated in his pocket, nearly causing him to drop the potted peperomia he was moving.  He recovered and set the pot down, pushing it against plants that already filled the counter.  He dug into his pocket and brought out his phone, huffing when he saw Kageyama's name flash on the screen.

He thought about ignoring the witch, but already knew that would lead to at least 20 more attempted calls and half of those coming with agitated voicemails.  

“Hello,” Tsukishima said as he brought the phone to his face, falling into his polite facade he had when answering calls in  store, cringing as he caught himself doing so.

**“I need you to come by,** **_”_ ** Kageyama’s voice crackled through the phone, Tsukishima narrowing his eyes at the demand.  

“Not even going to give me a proper greeting?  That kind of pisses me off,” Tsukishima replied, turning to lean against the counter.

**“** **_Anything_ ** **I do pisses you off,”** Kageyama said back,  **“Now can you come over?”**

“Did you forget I work today, idiot?”

**“No I didn’t,”** Kageyama huffed,  **“Stop thinking I’m so dense.”**

“Great then, so you know I can’t come, “ Tsukishima said, “Bye then.” 

**“No wait!”** Kageyama practically shouted into the phone, causing Tsukishima to wince slightly,  **“Can’t your mom sub in for you for like 45 minutes?”**

Tsukishima scowled to himself, unable to counter the response.  He could lie, and say his mother couldn’t, but it pissed him off that Kageyama would  _ know _ he was lying.   _ Of course _ his mother can sub in for him, and Kageyama was very much aware of that fact.

Jesus, when had he given Kageyama so much information?

“Fine,” Tsukishima gave in, though he let his irritation be heard in his voice (though it was doubtful Kageyama cared to notice), “What do you need?”

**“I need you to bring in, um.  Hold on.** ” there was the sound of movement on the other end of the call and the sound of papers rustling,  **“Ah!  I need you to bring white chrysanthemums, bittersweets, and platycodons.”**

“I got it,” Tsukishima said with a tired sounding sigh, “I’ll be there soon then.  Let’s not make this too unbearable.”

**“Wait!”** Kageyama cried again and Tsukishima was sure he would go death during this phone call,  **“I am not at my usual spot.”**

“So... I’m not coming to your house this time?” Tsukishima said after a pause before grimacing.  He was quite aware how that sounded, and was glad that no one else could hear him.  Most of the time, Kageyama would wait on the first floor of apartment building, where Tsukishima would pull up on his bike and give him his flowers.  Kageyama would note that he was sweaty and Tsukishima would comment that he was surprised that Kageyama had noticed, seeing how oblivious he was.  After that, the two would go their separate ways.  Nothing special ever happened.

“So are you going to tell me where am I heading to exactly?” Tsukishima asked, opting to ignore any more thoughts on the subject.

**“Oh,”** Kageyama said dumbly and Tsukishima rolled his eyes,  **“It’s** **_The Crow’s Cauldron._ ** **”** Kageyama continued, **“I’m sure you can find the address on the site.”**

“Wow, thanks,” Tsukishima said, Kageyama giving a genuine  _ “you’re welcome”  _ before hanging up the phone.

Tsukishima stood there for a moment, eye twitching with irritation.  With his phone still head to his ear, Tsukishima sucked in a breath, eyes sliding shut, trying not to let Kageyama’s behaviour get to him.  Slowly, he breathed out and pulled his phone away from his face.

With a look of resignation, Tsukishima opened his phone again and pressed on the contact that was his home phone.

_ “Kei?”  _ Tsukishima’s mother said as she picked up.  She didn’t sound as surprised as she did the first few times he called, and he had a feeling she was starting to expect this.

“Hey mom,” he said, “Can you sub in for me for a bit, I need to take the bike and make a delivery.”

 

His mother had bought the bike with the expectation that Akiteru would be staying with them in college, giving the shop three workers.  Someone could then be free to make rounds delivering flowers while one of the other two worked the shop.  

As it ended up, neither Akiteru or Tsukishima stayed in their hometown for college, leaving their mother to handle the flower shop on her own.  Eventually, Tsukishima did return, settling back in with his mother to help run the shop.  When he came back, his mother decided against the all year delivery service.  Instead, she had Tsukishima run deliveries only for special occasions and holidays.

Until the holidays, the bike sat useless in their yard, collecting dust. 

That was, until Kageyama came into Tsukishima’s life.

 

It didn’t take long for Tsukishima’s mother to show up, the sound of the bike coming to a halt outside the store.  

Tsukishima straightened himself as he heard the sound, a bouquet of flowers lying on the counter as he tied them together.  Giving a sigh, Tsukishima pulled the knot on the string tighter before lifting them into his arms.

A smile graced Tsukishima’s mother’s face as he stopped out from the shop, bringing one leg into the air as she got off the bike.  Her breathing was uneven and heavy, her face was flushed, and beads of sweat could be seen on her forehead.  She let out a small laugh as she noticed Tsukishima’s brow crease with worry when he noticed her fatigue.

“Don’t look so upset at me being breathless,” She teased, “I’m just need to build up some stamina is all.”

Tsukishima huffed and looked away, not bothering to comment on what his mother had said.  He couldn’t help the concern he saw seeing his mother become tired from the short ride from the house to the shop.

“It’s probably because you’re getting old,” Tsukishima muttered quietly, immediately closing his eyes as he realized he had said it aloud.  

“ _ Kei!” _ his mother said, a look of offense across her features, “You’re not supposed to comment on a lady’s age.”

Bowing his head in shame, Tsukishima offered a small apology and his mother laughed, reaching up to run her hand through his hair.  It was an action of pure affection, already used to her son’s sharp tongue.  Any comment he made to her was something playful, and she didn’t mind.

Shaking his head, Tsukishima walked away from her, ignoring the babbling that followed as he placed the bouquet into the small basket in the front of the back, not bothering to secure them in any fashion.  Honestly, if he lost them, it would give him a good reason to not have to run the errand at all, which was ideal to him.

Noticing the single bouquet, his mother paused all of her talking.  Her eyes flicked over to Tsukishima, who was now messing with the bike seat now.

“Who is this delivery for anyways?” she asked, her mouth quirking with amusement, as if she knew something Tsukishima didn’t know.  The other looked up and rolled his eyes, not bothering to entertain any fantasy his mother had in mind.

“Just for a friend,” he said, raising the seat.

“This must be someone pretty special if you’re willing to pay them a visit,” his mother said, eyes crinkling as she gave him a playful smile.  Tsukishima felt himself flush at the the notion, turning his head away so his mother would not notice.

“He’s just stupid enough to pay extra,” Tsukishima said, ignoring her as he stood tall and got on the bike.“That’s all.”

 

Tsukishima was already hot and tired when he finally found the store Kageyama worked at, getting lost three times (which he blamed on Kageyama and Google maps and it was definitely  _ not _ his own fault).  Slumped over in the bike, he barely noticed Sugawara standing out front, the other greeting him excitedly.

“Tsukishima,” Suga greeted, a friendly smile on his face as he walked up to him.  Tsukishima lifted himself up and took in the other.  He was wearing a simply white shirt with the a small crow embroidered on it.  Wrapped around Suga’s neck was a black handkerchief, which he fiddled with.

“Isn’t it a bit too warm for that,” Tsukishima said, pointing at the handkerchief.  He had noticed that every time he saw the witch, Suga was covering his neck, but he had assumed it was due to the colder weather.  Wearing something now just seemed unnecessary.

“You get used to it,” Suga said, offering a smile shrug,  “So, are you finally paying our little store a visit?”

“Not willingly,” Tsukishima said, straightening himself and wiping his brow.  He stepped off the bike and let out the kickstand before grabbing the bouquet.  He held it up to Suga, who looked surprised.

“I brought these for Kageyama,” Tsukishima stated easily.  Suga feigned a gasp and brought his hands to his face.

“How bold of you, Tsukishima!” Suga said, his voice in a teasing tone, “I can’t believe you're going to ask Kageyama out  _ at his work place! _ ”

Tsukishima let the flowers drop to his side as he gave Suga a cold stare, which caused the other to burst out with laughter, pleased by the reaction he pulled from the blonde.  Suga gripped his gut and Tsukishima sighed, believing that his reaction could not have possibly been  _ that _ funny.

“Can you just give these to him,” Tsukishima said as Suga recovered, earning a mischievous smile.

“Nope,” Suga said, “You can give them to him yourself.”  

“You sure know how to get under my nerves,” Tsukishima stated cooly.  Suga was unaffected by the other’s demeanor, raising a hand and patting Tsukishima’s cheek.

“We wouldn’t be friends if I didn’t,” he said, walking away and signaling for Tsukishima to follow, “Come on, I’ll lead you to the back, that’s where Kageyama is.”

Tsukishima sighed, slumping forward before following, knowing somehow that this was inevitable. 

 

Stepping into the store was an experience Tsukishima was not prepared for.  His breath escaped from his lungs as he was hit with a force of magical energy, stronger than anything he had experienced from Kageyama.  He felt his mouth slide open and his eyes widen as he looked around, something akin to wonder across his features.

The shop was dimly lit, Tsukishima reasoning that it was for aesthetic sake if anything else.  Looking around, there was not a single empty shelf.  Small glasses filled the placed, varying in hues and shades, and some even glowed as they sat nestled together.  Approaching the counter, Tsukishima noticed a small plate burning with incense, and surrounding it was boxes full of powered charms.

Between two boxes of charms sat a small fabric pyramid, a ferret curled inside.

“A ferret?” Tsukishima asked once he gathered his bearings, turning to Suga with a look of confusion.  The other seemed pleased to be finally asked something.

“My familiar,” he said, reaching into the pyramid and petting the creature, “You can hold her if you’d like.”

“I’ll pass,” Tsukishima said, Suga giving him a disapproving look, “Can you just lead me to Kageyama so I can go.”  He noted down familiars as something he would need to ask the two witches about later, only having a vague knowledge about them.

“He’s back there,” Suga said, motioning at a door behind the counter.  Tsukishima nodded and left the other to fawn over his ferret.

Tsukishima had to blink a few times as he entered the back room, the light much brighter than out front.  As his eyes adjusted, he realized that the room was like a kitchen, ingredients on counters and shelves and an island in the middle with a stove.  

Kageyama was standing there, heating a pot of water as he glared down at his phone, completely oblivious to Tsukishima’s entrance.  He was wearing an attire similar Suga’s, save for the apron and gloves he wore.  On the island was the book Tsukishima was all too familiar with, opened and a small note laying on its pages.  

Clearing his throat, Tsukishima caused the other to start, Kageyama nearly dropping his phone as he jumped.  He turned, ready to be angry, before blinking in surprise as he saw Tsukishima. 

“When do you get here?” Kageyama asked, foregoing any greeting.  Tsukishima rolled his eyes and held out the flowers, which Kageyama happily took.  

“If you actually paid attention,” Tsukishima said, “You would have noticed I’ve been here awhile.”

“Were you just staring at me then?” Kageyama questioned, “That’s creepy.”

“Please,” Tsukishima retorted, leaning against a counter and glaring at the witch, “You wished I would actually spare you a glance.”

“I don’t have to wish,” Kageyama said back easily, “You’re always looking at me, even if it’s glares.”

Tsukishima opened his mouth to reply before shutting it, scowling at the other for being right.  Losing an argument with Kageyama was one of the most aggravating things to Tsukishima for the sole fact that the other never really meant to.  He simply stated something he believed was true, and it usually was.

Tsukishima fell silent, watching Kageyama work.  He knew he could ask Kageyama for payment now and then leave, but curiosity made him stay.  Despite all the talks he had with other, Tsukishima had never seen Kageyama at work and could not help but watch.

Picking the flowers apart, Kageyama placed them into the boiling part of water.  After each flower he pulled apart, Kageyama picked up a seasoning bottle, and sprinkled the comments into the water. As he watched Kageyama silently work, Tsukishima if he should be offended if this was the fate of all the flowers he had given to Kageyama.

After the fifth flower, Tsukishima couldn’t hold back his burning question anymore.

“What is it that you are making?” he said and Kageyama paused, turning to give him a look of surprise.  Tsukishima felt himself flush but tried to stay calm, despite screaming at himself for showing any interest in what Kageyama was up to.

“I’m making a truth serum,” Kageyama said.

“A truth serum?” Tsukishima asked and Kageyama nodded.

“Yeah,” he said, “It makes people tell the truth.”

“Wow,” Tsukishima drawled, leaning farther back into the counter.  “Believe it or not, I’m not an idiot like you and can actually figure that out on my own.”

“Shut up,” Kageyama shot at him, though without his usual heat.  It seemed the witch was far too focused on the potion.  

Taking a moment to read the note on his book, Kageyama dropped all ingredients and sucked in a breath.  Immediately goosebumps formed across Tsukishima’s skin and he shivered, realizing that Kageyama was about to perform a spell.  In a voice Tsukishima could barely hear, Kageyama whispered to the potion, eyes closed in concentration as his hands hovered over the water.

As the words left Kageyama’s mouth, a puff of white smoke came out of the water and contents in it dissolved as if made in salt.  Tsukishima watched as the water changed color to an opaque white, as if someone had mixed dish soap into it.  He let out an unimpressed huff despite the show.

“Is that supposed to happen?” Tsukishima as Kageyama backed away from the pot, waving the smoke away.

“That’s what happens every time,” the witch said, “Or, that’s what happens when I do it.  That never happens to Suga-san.”

“So that’s definitely lethal,”

“Don’t be a dumbass,” Kageyama spat.  He moved away to grab a ladle and cup, approaching the pot again and filling the cup before offering to Tsukishima.

“Hell no,” Tsukishima said, waving the cup away from him, “I’m not dying because of your incompetence.”

“You won’t die,” Kageyama said, “Watch.”

He then lifted the cup to his mouth and took a drink, grimacing from the taste.  After a moment passed, Kageyama looked at Tsukishima, looking smug.

“Okay, you’re not dead,” Tsukishima said, “What the hell happens now?”

“Ask me questions,” Kageyama said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, “It’s a truth serum.”

With that, Kageyama turned away and busied himself with potion, obviously not satisfied with how it turned out after his taste test.

“So you’re just going to answer everything I ask with honesty?” Tsukishima asked, sounding unconvinced.

“Yeah,” Kageyama said, seeming to comfortable with the idea for Tsukishima’s liking.

“Who the hell buys junk like this?” Tsukishima scoffed,

“Teenagers for parties,” Kageyama said, “And spouses who think their partners are cheating.”

Tsukishima laughed, surprised by the answer.

“Are you telling that they don’t use this stuff for integrations?”

“No,” Kageyama answered, “It’s because it doesn’t work.”

“So you just sell some fake stuff under the pretenses of ‘magic’,”

“It is magic! It works just not in the way that people like  _ you _ understand.”

“Then care to enlighten me,” Tsukishima said, earning a glare.

“A truth serum isn’t ‘you’ll admit to everything’, it’s more of ‘it’s way harder to lie’,” Kageyama said, “The spell can be fought over by will power, so those with secrets they want to hide can combat it, but it works on the little lies people tell.”

“So if I were to ask you something right now, would you lie?” Tsukishima asked.  Kageyama was silent for a moment, stirring the potion and keeping his face turned away from Tsukishima.

“I might, I might not,” he said finally, “You would just have to ask me when I’m not thinking about it.”

Tsukishima huffed and fell silent, watching Kageyama’s back.  He wondered what he should ask Kageyama.  Would the witch even answer him earnestly?  Tsukishima had to just go on the assumption that Kageyama was dumb enough to  _ forget _ about drinking his own potion.

After a few minutes passed, a question came to mind.

“Oi, witch,”

“I do have a name, Tsukishima,”

“Do you hate me?” he continued, ignoring Kageyama’s comment.  To his surprise, the answer came immediately.

“We’ve been over this,” Kageyama said easily, too absorbed in his own work, “I don’t hate you.”

“Why though?” Tsukishima said.  He felt almost nervous.  Not only that, but he was struck by the realization that Kageyama’s answer actually  _ mattered _ to him.  

“I like having you around,” Kageyama said with a small shrug  and the other was taken aback.  Despite it being evident by know that it was completely possible, Kageyama actually  _ wanting _ him around was lost to Tsukishima.  

Tsukishima shook his head, not quite believing it.

“Why do you like having me around?”

“I’m tired of being alone,” Kageyama said as he fiddled with the stove’s top temperature, turning it down, “You make me feel less lonely.”

Silence fell between them and Tsukishima seemed to dip into thought.  As the quiet stretched between them, Kageyama turned and gave Tsukishima a worried look.

“Did I say something weird?”

At that, Tsukishima laughed, and he realized Kageyama actually hadn’t been paying attention to what he had been saying.  Kageyama had trusted Tsukishima enough to not pay attention to the words coming out of his mouth and being honest with him.

Tsukishima was struck dumb.

“No,” Tsukishima said as he straightened himself, smiling softly, “You didn’t saying anything of the kind.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I BET YALL THOUGHT THIS FIC WAS DEAD. YALL THOUGHT *WRONG*.  
> im not too happy with this chapter and i lost insp for it and it was really hard to write but i.........i didn't want to give up on this fic...........its my love  
> so yeah???? i hope yall like this chapter fl is alive   
> btw !!! theres a playlist for this fic now http://8tracks.com/witchy-d/it-s-like-magic you should listen to it ;P  
> anyways feel free to point out any flaws and hmu @ nissam.tumblr.com


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